


Project Management for Beginners

by Snuffly22



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Gen Work, POV Multiple, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, mostly Harry's POV however
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:08:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 165,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25782661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snuffly22/pseuds/Snuffly22
Summary: Harry had never really properly planned anything before. The fact that his first ever plan was risky and filled with assorted dangers was not actually deterring him as much as it should.In other words, this story explores how Harry’s third year at Hogwarts might have played out differently if a little project management and an ambitious plan had been thrown into the mix.
Comments: 79
Kudos: 87





	1. Hit the Ground Running

**Author's Note:**

> All rights to the Harry Potter universe belong to JK Rowling.

_A project management approach can be used to produce a defined product, service or result within a specified period of time. At an early stage therefore, it is sensible to determine the overall objective and desired outcome of the project._

Hermione looked anxiously at her friends, especially at Harry who looked pale and rather distressed, even after having eaten the chocolate provided by Professor Lupin. Ron and Neville also both seemed shaken. Their journey back to Hogwarts for the start of another new school year had just been interrupted by the highly unpleasant experience of meeting a dementor, something which Hermione intended to complain to Professor McGonagall about as soon as she had the opportunity. The capture of escaped prisoner Sirius Black might well be a top priority, but sending dementors onto a dark train filled with terrified children was a reckless plan which could have ended in tragedy. As the train restarted however, the immediate priority seemed to be distracting Harry and the others (and herself, if she was honest) by talking about something else. Anything else, really. 

“You’re lucky it wasn’t worse,” Ron was saying to Harry darkly. “Those dementors, Dad says they’ll do anything to a person if you give them half a chance. I thought you’d had it mate, and if that thing had just got any closer--”

“Stop going on about it, will you!” Hermione snapped. “I’d really rather talk about a different topic.” She still didn’t like how unfocussed Harry seemed.

“Well go on then, talk away,” Ron said, leaning back and folding his arms as if he thought it was her job to entertain him. “I’m sure you can think of something _much_ more newsworthy than a _big dementor showing up in our train carriage!_ ”

Hermione glared at him, but the train carriage had gone quiet and the other two boys were, she thought with annoyance, just waiting to see what she could come up with. _Typical Ronald Weasley, he would put me on the spot. And journey’s nearly over so of course we’ve already talked about all of the usual things..._ her mind raced as she struggled to find a new topic of conversation.

“My father’s going to run the London marathon next April,” she said finally. It was a dull subject perhaps and they weren’t going to be interested but anyway, she’d go with it.

“What’s a marathon?” Neville asked. It was clear from Ron’s face that he had no idea either. With a burst of self-control that surprised even her, Hermione resisted the temptation to point out how smugly insular and isolated people were in wizarding society and how much better it would be if they all learned a lot more about the muggle world, so that they didn’t look like idiots whenever anything muggle was mentioned.

“A race. A competition. People run along a course through the streets which lasts over twenty-six miles and takes several hours to complete. Well of course, the elite runners can finish in just over two hours but my father’s completely unfit so he’ll need a lot more time. He’ll have to go on training runs several times a week to get in shape during the winter and really work hard, and even _then_ he might not complete the course – loads of people have to give up every year. Sometimes it’s really warm on the day, which makes the going harder. Mum says it’s a mistake to even make the attempt and he should aim for something less difficult, but he wants to raise money for our local hospital – they’re trying to update some of the equipment on the children’s ward.”

“You mean muggles get paid money just to run around?” Ron said incredulously. “How does that work? Could I do it?”

Harry relaxed and smiled at his friend. “Not really, Ron. It’s called sponsoring. Someone decides to complete some kind of difficult challenge and then other people, like their family and friends, agree to pay them money if they do what they say they will. Any money raised goes to a good cause of some kind. I think marathons are really hard, though.” 

Hermione beamed at him, delighted to see her friend looking more like his usual self. “Yes, but my father likes a challenge. He’s always working on something extra-curricular; he calls them his ‘AI’ projects; AI stands for _Almost Impossible_. Dad often jokes about how getting Mum to go out with him was his hardest AI project yet. But he plans everything out, you see – what the target is and how to get there, interim and final deadlines, materials needed, stages and sub-stages of the plan, who can help him. Then he looks at what are the obstacles and risks, and how he can overcome them. It’s all in the planning. You know what they say - fail to prepare, prepare to fail!” 

“I’d rather just fail than spend all that time preparing,” Ron said, making a disgusted face. “And anyway, who could possibly run _twenty-six miles!_ ”

“Of course, you would say that, but I for one applaud his resilience and ambition. When my father puts his mind to something, he doesn’t give up. And for your information, there are tens of thousands of people who complete marathons every year.”

“Muggles are confusing,” Ron grumbled. “Nothing they do makes sense. Dad drives me mad trying to understand them.” Ron switched to a passable imitation of his father’s voice. “I wish I could grasp how exactly muggle shopping works, Ron. Would you believe it, I went past a big shop called Boots the other day and when I looked in the window, there wasn’t a single boot to be seen!” 

Hermione and Harry laughed but Neville was frowning, trying to grasp what was still to him a confusing sports-based concept. “But Hermione, if your father will be a lot slower than those elite runners he can’t possibly win. Doesn’t that make it just, you know, Impossible instead of Almost Impossible?”

“No, because his target is to complete the race within four hours, not to come in first. He knows even that will be really difficult, but if he works hard it might just be achievable. Dad says it’s such a hard thing to run a marathon that everyone who finishes is a winner, really.”

Neville looked impressed. “So how much money is he aiming to raise? Will it be a lot of galleons?”

“Well, around £500 I think – perhaps more. That’s about a hundred galleons. His friends at the golf club are all sponsoring him, and some of his patients at work too. I just hope he can finish the race, though. If he doesn’t, he won’t earn anything for the hospital. I suggested a ‘per mile completed’ sponsorship plan rather than all or nothing, but he felt that might be demotivating, because he could give up half way along knowing that he’d still make some money. Dad wants to finish the whole race, even though it’ll be the hardest thing he’s ever done”. 

Ron shook his head in disapproval. “So just to be clear – your father’s going to run around and get all worn out for months, all through the winter getting rained on and frozen, then eventually he’ll run a twenty-six mile race that he’s got no chance of winning and if he doesn’t finish it, the hospital gets no money and he’s failed completely and wasted months of his time?”

“That’s it,” Hermione said cheerfully. “It’s called aiming high, Ron. You should try it sometime.” Harry snorted with amusement, earning him a baleful glare from his friend.

“It’s like a quest!” Neville chimed in cheerfully before an obviously offended Ron could say anything more. “I used to read all about quests when I was younger – Gran bought me a book about them. Have you ever read _Fifty Fantastic Flights, Fights and Fables_? You know, the one with knights and barons and dames setting out on a terribly dangerous task that they might never come back from? My favourite was the tale of Alferic the Ardent. He rode his horse non-stop for six hundred miles in three days to kill five dragons that were attacking his girlfriend’s village, then on the way home he was caught in an avalanche and trapped in an ice kingdom filled with snow ghouls and frost fiends for the whole of winter. He had to battle all sorts of monsters to stay alive until the snow melted!”

“Pity he didn’t bring one of the dragons with him - he could have used its fire to melt the snow so he could escape,” Ron smirked. 

Harry grinned, but at that moment his thoughts were elsewhere. The conversation had sparked off an interesting train of thought in his mind. It wasn’t related to Neville’s book of fables, which apart from being about quests (which was quite a cool name) sounded like fairy tales for little children, and that had no appeal for a boy of his age. However, there was something fascinating about Hermione’s father and his Almost Impossible tasks. Harry couldn’t help but wonder what it might be like to have a hobby like that for himself. “So, what other challenges has your father done?” he asked.

“Well, the longest one was when he built a model railway in the attic; that took ages because he made all the scenery and platforms and passengers by hand. When I was five, he built a small rowing boat from reclaimed wood and some scrap metal from a local junk yard, then he successfully rowed it across Derwentwater. Oh, and a few years ago we booked a holiday to Italy and Dad decided to learn Italian before we went. He only had four months to study it, so his target was just to become fluent enough to ask directions and order meals out and so on. Dad’s grasp of spoken Italian was rather good for the most part, although I do remember one day in a Milanese bistro when I asked him to order me a glass of orange juice and a cheese sandwich for my lunch, and what showed up was a cup of coffee and a steak pie. And that was quite a surprise really, because Dad had told us it was a vegetarian restaurant!” 

The others laughed and the subject was dropped as the train began to slow down for the approach to Hogsmeade station. The familiar start of year rituals (and the unwelcome presence of the Dementors) kept Harry both busy and preoccupied for the rest of the day. It was only when he finally got to bed and was stretched out, enjoying the feeling of being back at Hogwarts again and in his comfortable dorm, that there was time to think about the discussion they’d had on the train. He couldn’t help admiring the ambition of Mr. Granger’s Almost Impossible hobby. As he lazed, Harry imagined himself ‘aiming high’ like that. The commitment that he’d need, to keep trying and working so hard when there was absolutely no guarantee of success. Didn’t that take courage? It seemed like a very Gryffindor-ish thing to do. Of course, it was also ambitious. Ambition itself was a Slytherin quality and therefore regarded as inherently suspect by many Gryffindors, but personally Harry didn’t see anything wrong with it because he knew how ambitious Hermione was. He fell asleep soon after but when he awoke in the morning, Harry knew that somehow the decision was made. He was going to have his own quest and it would be even better than Mr. Granger’s. Now all he had to do was plan it.

\-----------------------IIII-----------------------

Harry didn’t tell Ron and Hermione about his quest idea the next day. He felt a bit guilty about keeping it a secret, but after all it was only a dream at this stage and he hadn’t even worked out what to make the quest about. If he couldn’t think of a suitable quest and follow through with his plan then Ron would make fun of him - and tell the twins, who would _really_ make fun of him - and Hermione would nag him, which would be even worse. Various ideas for potential quests crossed his mind during the first few days of the term but none of them seemed good enough. Harry wanted something ambitious, daring, risky – but not too risky, he’d had as much danger as he could take during his first two years of school. It had to be… yes, it had to be _grand_. Harry’s initial thought was a quidditch quest – that could be fun, and it even sounded right, two ‘q’ words together. The trouble was that he couldn’t think of any quidditch-related achievements to strive for. He’d already been the youngest seeker for a century and he caught the snitch in most of his matches. He was far too young to play for a professional team, and certainly not for England. So, if quidditch was out - what else was there? He was struggling to come up with anything exciting. 

After three days of fruitless thinking, Harry was still lacking in ideas for what his quest could be dedicated to. Eventually he decided to make a few cautious enquiries of one of the other Gryffindors. Percy seemed like a good person to ask, and he found an opportunity to speak to the older boy in the common room one evening, after Ron and Hermione had both gone to bed. Percy was studying, but he willingly put his books aside when Harry strolled over.

“Percy, I was wondering if I could ask your opinion on something? I’m thinking of, erm… doing some kind of…” Harry stumbled as he tried to remember the term that Hermione had used on the train, “oh yes, an extra-curricular project. I want to aim high. Do you have any ideas for what kind of project I could do?”

Percy looked absolutely thrilled to be asked. “Really? What an excellent idea, Harry. I only wish that Ron had your kind of commitment to excellence!” Harry smiled weakly. It was nice to be praised but he hadn’t done anything to earn it yet, really. “Well, it’s only two years to your OWL year. You could consider adding more electives and aiming for extra OWLs. I managed all twelve, after all!”

Harry was horrified at the thought, but managed to keep this from showing openly. The last thing he wanted was to add any more classes to his schedule, but didn’t intend to cause any offence by saying so. “Yes, that could be interesting, but as you say it’s already been done. I know Hermione is studying a lot of classes too and I’d like something individual – you know, just for me. It doesn’t have to be about schoolwork.”

Percy frowned. “Well I suppose you could take up some kind of hobby - gobstones or chess, perhaps. But otherwise, I can’t suggest anything offhand. If I think of something, I’ll let you know.”

“Thanks,” Harry said, hiding his disappointment. Neither gobstones nor chess appealed to him. His chess skills were still moderate at best, and two years of consistent defeats to Ron had left Harry will a poor estimation of his own ability. As for gobstones, it was an interesting enough game but to him it had never seemed as entertaining as quidditch, or even as exploding snap. “Don’t mention this to anyone else, will you? I’d rather work on it myself first. “

“Of course not,” Percy said, turning back to his books. 

\-----------------------IIII-----------------------

The following Monday’s Potions lesson did not exactly get Harry’s week off to a glowing start. Professor Snape’s mood, never anything but bad when in the presence of a dozen Gryffindors (and Harry in particular), seemed particularly appalling that day. Harry suspected it was caused by the continuing presence in the school of Professor Lupin, given how much Snape seemed to detest the new Defence professor. The students became instantly silent when the door to the Potions classroom was opened and Professor Snape gestured at them to enter. Most of the Gryffindors were looking nervous – Neville seemed as if he’d cry if given any provocation – while the Slytherins smirked and looked across with unconcealed anticipation, well aware that Professor Snape’s anger would not be taken out on _them_.

“Today you will be brewing Skele-Gro,” Snape told them sharply. “This is a potion which is used to repair or replace broken bones. Now, be aware that this potion requires especial precision and care in order to be effective in its creation. Some of you, the ones lacking in even a basic comprehension of how potions are made- “, Snape looked pointedly at Harry, who felt his anger rising, “-will find this particularly difficult. However, I expect and require that all students complete this potion competently, or you will be subjected to my _displeasure_.” Neville gulped audibly and several of the other Gryffindors turned noticeable paler, especially Lavender Brown who looked almost nauseated. Harry sighed inwardly and looked down at his cauldron, knowing that Snape would be displeased with him no matter what. The Professor flicked his wand impatiently and the recipe appeared on the blackboard. “Gather your ingredients and begin.”

Harry and Ron’s potion began to give them trouble almost immediately. Harry’s hand slipped when chopping his puffer-fish, which meant that the diced fish pieces were not uniform in size as the recipe demanded. Shortly afterwards, Ron - who quickly became flustered as he saw how closely Professor Snape was watching them - accidentally knocked the dish of ground scarab beetles to the floor. Several of the Slytherins laughed.

“Fool boy!” Snape roared at him. “Do you think that Hogwarts has unlimited funds at its disposal to buy additional potions ingredients because wasteful students such as yourself simply throw them away? I assure you that it does not. Ten points from Gryffindor for your carelessness.” 

“But sir, it was an accident!” Ron protested.

“And another ten points for answering back,” Snape said, his eye glittering. Harry struggled to keep his anger under control. Couldn’t Snape see that Ron had knocked over the bowl because he was nervous? If Snape was less deliberately terrifying in class then students wouldn’t make these mistakes! “And you Potter, you should have put the dish of scarab beetles somewhere out of the way so that it wouldn’t be knocked over. That’ll be another twenty points from Gryffindor for your negligence!”

Harry could feel his anger building. Their bench was crowded with ingredients as well as the cauldron itself, just like those of the other students; there was nowhere that could be called ‘out of the way’! _Why was Snape like this!_ Didn’t he want them to do well in his class? The man seemed to take a perverse pleasure in ruined potions and distressed children, as long as they were from other houses than his own. Harry smothered his desperate wish to speak his mind, to tell Snape exactly what he thought of him… but that would just lead to more points lost, and probably detention as well. “Yes sir,” he replied with gritted teeth and went back to work. Ron did the same, both of them rushing and stumbling to make up the lost time. It made no difference, At the end, their potion was too light in colour and entirely the wrong consistency. Snape vanished it with a lazy stroke of his wand, took great delight in giving them both zero marks and finished by taking another ten points for “complete incompetence and carelessness”. At the end of the lesson Harry left quickly, barely listening to Ron’s outraged complaints and Hermione’s distraught attempts at consolation. Clearly, Snape had not lost his talent for making him feel bad and ruining his mood.

\-----------------------IIII-----------------------

He could try for some kind of house points record as part of his quest, Harry mused as he and his friends strolled across to the greenhouses for a Herbology lesson that afternoon. Hermione was always saying that he could earn extra points if he really put his mind to it. But how would he be able to measure if he’d got more points than anyone else? Each house’s points scores were combined. Of course, he could ask Professor McGonagall for his own scores and about how they compared to those of others - possibly she would let him know - but he didn’t like the idea of doing that. Harry respected his Head of House but her stern demeanour made him nervous. He had no idea of her age but he suspected that despite being surrounded by children every day, she didn’t actually understand or remember what being young was like. Quite possibly she might disapprove of his plans and tell him to just get on with his work. There didn’t seem any reason to even try to earn points anyway though, since Professor Snape took points away from him during Potions almost as soon as he earned them in other lessons. Harry frowned at the thought of his less-than-esteemed Potions master and the terrible lesson that morning. Whatever quest he chose, if Snape knew about it then he’d take great pleasure in sabotaging his efforts. And if his quest was to be brave and majestic and spectacular, as he wanted it to be, then how on earth could it be kept a secret from Snape at all? 

“Are you going to tell us what’s wrong or just leave us to guess?” Ron asked, breaking into his thoughts. Hermione was already ahead of them, her pace faster, reaching into her bag for her notebook as she walked.

“What? Oh no, nothing’s wrong,” Harry said hurriedly. This was true, but did he did feel a bit awkward at not telling Ron what was on his mind.

“I thought it might be, you know…” Ron lowered his voice, “I thought maybe you were worried about Sirius Black.”

“Not more than usual. He’s out there somewhere and he wants to kill me, but I should be safe in Hogwarts. I’m just thinking about, err, some stuff I need to get done.”

“What stuff?”

Harry hesitated. He was still sure that he didn’t want to tell Ron about the quest, at least not before he’d got further in and had a proper plan, but he didn’t want to lie to his friend either. “Erm… I’m thinking about a project. I just—”

“Ron, Harry, the lesson’s starting,” Neville shouted. He was about thirty feet ahead, standing impatiently in the greenhouse doorway “Hurry up!”

“Blimey, he’s eager,” Ron grumbled, but he picked up the pace all the same. Harry grinned, very grateful for the change of subject.

\-----------------------IIII-----------------------

Time passed and Harry was still coming up short on any kind of acceptable quest objectives. He was starting to become frustrated at this. Surely it shouldn’t be that hard to set himself a challenge! Term was over a week old and still he had nothing. Reluctantly, Harry decided that further research was required. It was time to visit the library – but on his own if possible. Fortunately, he had an opportunity the following afternoon when he and Ron both had a free period after lunch.

“I’m going to the library,” he said to Ron after Hermione had left for her Arithmancy lesson. “Want to come?” _Say no, say no, please say no…_

“No chance! We’ll be doing that later,” Ron said, pulling a face as he finished off his pudding. “She’ll make us - you know she will!”

Harry grinned. “Yeah, but I’d rather go now anyway. See you later, then?”

“Okay.”

Relieved, Harry stood up and strolled out, stopping to say a quick hello to the Weasley twins and Lee Jordan. They were, perhaps fortunately, too busy in hushed conversation to take much notice of him. Harry smirked when he heard the muttered words “yeah, we’ll need a diversion…” as he strolled away. 

Of course, the main disadvantage of going to the library alone was that he didn’t have Hermione to tell him exactly what book he needed and exactly where that book could be found. Harry was also hampered by the fact that he didn’t actually know what he was looking for. Asking Madam Pince to help was technically possible of course, but even the bravest Gryffindor would think twice about spending time with the stern librarian unless there was absolutely no alternative. After twenty minutes of aimless meandering, Harry settled down at one of the tables with four books he’d found which might have some useful suggestions; _Great Expeditions of Times Gone By_ and _Tales of Ambitious Achievers Across History_ , as well as _Don’t Flinch From Fear – How to Be Bold and Dynamic in Life!_ and, most promisingly perhaps, _The Wizarding Guide to Knowing What You Want, **AND** Getting It!_ Optimistically, Harry opened the first book and started to read. 

“These are hopeless!” Harry muttered to himself half an hour later. None of the books had the answers he sought. They all held stories of acclaimed achievements, great historical events and tips for being famous and renowned (which he surely didn’t need, anyway) – but none of the contents seemed to relate to him, somehow. Even the book about knowing what you want and getting it hadn’t been a success, though Harry had been amused at some of the content. He thought he might show it to Hermione sometime. She would surely appreciate Chapter 21 – ‘How to **make** others fall into line with your point of view’. Actually, she’d probably helped write it.

“Hello, Harry,” said a voice from behind him. It was Percy Weasley, who was carrying at least nine books as well as a roll of parchment and a quill with a casual ease which Harry rather admired. “Glad to see you so productively occupied. Homework, is it?”

“Well no,” Harry replied in a low voice, although nobody seemed to be nearby. “It’s the extra-curricular project I mentioned to you – well, I’m calling it a quest. I’ve been trying to come up with ideas for it from these books. Still no luck, though.”

Percy frowned and sat down next to him, plopping his possessions on the desk. “When you say a quest, is that in the historical sense? If so, then perhaps in our earlier conversation I didn’t grasp the concept well enough to give you sound advice.”

“Oh well, perhaps if I tell you a bit more about it…” Harry proceeded to recount the whole discussion they’d had on the train. It took Percy almost as long to understand what a marathon was as it had Ron and Neville, but by the end of the explanation he was nodding along intelligently. 

“Well, given what you’ve told me I can quite see what those books aren’t of any use to you,” Percy said surprisingly.

“Really? But I thought they’d help. There’s lots of ideas in them.”

“Yes, but they’re not _your_ ideas. You told me when we last spoke of this that you wanted something that was individual and just for you. That means you need to personalise it. These books might give you some clues but they can’t provide the answer.” Percy noticed that Harry looked visibly disappointed and hurried to clarify. “Harry, your aim is commendable; you just need to find the right focus. If I were in your shoes and had this ambition, I would think about the things in life that held me back, and acted as barriers to block me from achieving what I know I’m capable of achieving. Then I would base my plan around removing those barriers. That’s _my_ approach though - and as I say, this has to come from you.”

“Barriers? I hadn’t thought of it that way.” Harry bit his lip absently as he considered this new angle. “I can see what you mean though… I’ll have to think about that. Thanks, Percy.”

“You’re welcome,” he smiled, a touch self-importantly. “I always enjoy helping others. I do sometimes with that Ron would pay more attention to what I tell him, and as for Fred and George! Well, I’ll leave you now but if you want to talk about it again, be my guest. I will gladly help you out, if I can.”

“Great, thanks again.” Percy nodded and headed off, leaving a rather confused boy behind him.

\-----------------------IIII-----------------------

It was a few days before Harry was able to find time to return to the subject of his quest. A combination of increased school-work and a rigorous quidditch practice schedule were taking up a great deal of his time. In the end he set an alarm for 05.00 that Friday morning, drawing his bed curtains and using a simple Silencing charm the night before to avoid waking anyone else up. Ron and the other boys were still asleep as he quietly got ready and went down to the common room, carrying his school bag. There were a few others up early as well, mostly fifth-year or seventh-year students already looking a little harassed by the thought of their end of year OWL or NEWT exams. Harry said a couple of casual good mornings and curled up in a corner armchair with a piece of parchment and a quill. If anyone came over then he would pretend to be doing homework but actually, now it was time to decide on a quest – and if he couldn’t do it now, he never would. Percy had talked about barriers, and not achieving potential. What _were_ his barriers?

Well, there were the Dursleys of course. They had stopped him achieving things since he was a small child. Harry’s lack of friends at primary school, due to the fact that Dudley scared off anyone who wanted to play with him, was evidence of that. And he’d not been able to do well at school because his aunt and uncle immediately accused him of cheating if his scores exceeded those of his cousin, so he’d under-achieved at his lessons which would have counted against him, had he gone to Stonewall High. Probably they’d have looked at his mediocre scores and put him in a lower class to start with. Even so, he’d have been able to work to his potential once he wasn’t at the same school as Dudley, maybe moving up to the top classes in time. He’d also have been able to make friends there. However, those things didn’t matter now. He was a wizard at Hogwarts boarding school, and this was his safe space where they could do nothing to damage him. He only saw the Dursleys for a month or so in the summer. Dudley and his horrible friends had still to be tolerated and evaded, his Aunt and Uncle were still unpleasant and unreasonable… Harry thought ruefully about the incident with blowing up Aunt Marge over summer, which he knew he was lucky to have got away with. But where they actually holding him back any more? He had to admit that they weren’t - not really. Which was just as well, because it would be easier to run a hundred marathons than to get the Dursleys to actually _like_ him! Harry grinned at the thought.

Of course, there was the fact that he didn’t have any parents, or people who wanted to take a parental role in his life. That was a barrier to happiness, really. For not the first time, Harry thought about his home life compared to Ron’s. Harry knew that Ron, who was knee deep in family members both at home and abroad, would never understand what it meant to be unwanted. Ron didn’t value his family as Harry would have done, had he been a Weasley too. During his visits to the Burrow, Harry had revelled in the chaos, arguments, distractions, cheerfulness and overwhelming sense of belonging he felt there. Still, he was only a guest, however welcomed. It wasn’t the same as being a part of that world. If he ever fell out with Ron then he’d never be invited there again. Harry wanted a family, a proper one - but he couldn’t have a magical family of his own, could be? The Headmaster had told him so. It had to be the Dursleys, with his mother’s last gift of her blood and magic protecting him - but staying with the Dursleys was a heavy price to pay, in return for his physical safety.

Harry shook his head, willing himself to think more cheerful thoughts. The next thing was friendship; were there any barriers there? He couldn’t think of any. As well as Ron and Hermione, Harry was on good terms with the other third year Gryffindors, plus the other Weasleys, and he there were several students he liked in Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. He’d made some friends in the other years as well, through being on the quidditch team. 

Starting to feel desperate for an answer, Harry took up his parchment and wrote in large bold letters:  


**WHAT IS THE MAIN BARRIER TO ACHIEVING MY POTENTIAL?**

As first as he stared at the letters, nothing came to him at all. But then into his mind flowed memories of failed potions, of sarcasm and humiliation, of a lack of encouragement and a Professor who took pleasure in seeing him fail. With a shaking hand and a sudden sense of dread, Harry wrote one more word on his parchment.

**SNAPE**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone not living in Britain (or in other countries where they operate), Boots is a health and beauty retailer and a pharmacy chain. I tried to think of a shopping-based pun that would work more globally, but no luck!


	2. Think outside the box

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All rights to the Harry Potter universe belong to JK Rowling.

_Identify and organise the people who might be interested or are required in order to bring the project to completion. Ask each participant if they are committed to participating in the project and define their respective roles._

Percy Weasley was visibly surprised to find an anxious Harry waiting for him as he left Transfiguration later that day. Harry had made a quick excuse to Ron and Hermione and rushed off to find Percy as soon as afternoon school ended. More than ever now, Harry needed some advice – and Percy had been helpful before, and willing to listen. Harry also couldn’t help but think that it was Percy’s loony talk of barriers that had brought the whole thing on in the first place, but he knew that was unfair as the Percy had only tried to help. 

“Hi Percy, have you got a minute to talk?” 

“Of course, Harry. My door is always open, so to speak. Let’s go in here.” They ducked into an empty classroom. “Is this about the quest?” 

Harry nodded. “Yes. Well, I’ve had an idea. Sort of. It’s just… I don’t think it can be made to work.” 

“Well, I’m sure if you put your mind to it, that—” 

“I want Professor Snape to be a good teacher to me and treat me fairly,” Harry burst out. “He’s my barrier, Percy. He’s stopping me from achieving what I’m capable of in Potions.” 

Percy looked visibly shocked. It was some moments before he could say a word. “Oh.” 

Harry grinned. “Yes. Oh, indeed”. 

\-----------------------IIII----------------------- 

“I wouldn’t have expected Professor Snape to feature in your quest,” Percy said after he’d come to terms with the idea. “Although, I have gathered from what Ron and Ginny have told me that their Potions classes can be rather challenging.” 

“Aren’t yours as well?” Harry asked curiously. “You’re a Gryffindor, too.” 

“Indeed, but I’ve always behaved respectfully to Professor Snape and worked hard at Potions. I made it clear to him from the start that I would work hard and conduct myself fittingly – to set a good example for my siblings, you know. He’s not, well, _fond_ of our house, but his Potions skills are second to none and I do admire his knowledge.” 

“That makes it all the more shameful that he doesn’t do more to help us,” Harry said quietly. “It’s not like he’s incompetent. He could teach properly, if he wanted to. And it doesn’t matter how respectful I am, he still treats me badly. He’s hated me since the first day I got here; I saw him glaring at me when I sat down after being sorted into Gryffindor. He’s always talking about his arrogant I am and how nasty my father was, he goes out of his way to humiliate me in class and he takes points off me unfairly all the time.” 

Percy looked uncomfortable. Harry knew that he, like Hermione, had an inbuilt respect for authority figures. Perhaps he didn’t want to be involved. “We don’t have to talk about this Percy, if you don’t want to. I can ask someone else.” 

“No need for that,” he said firmly, “I told you I’d help and I will. But if I may ask, why aren’t you talking to your friends about this? I assume you haven’t yet told them.” 

“No,” Harry said, a little uncomfortably. “I was going to tell them when I’d worked out something to base my quest on, but now… Ron wouldn’t understand, he’d think I’m mad for even trying to do something about Snape. Hermione might get it, but she’d also be worried that I’m making things worse. And I don’t know if Ron would keep this a secret; he’d try but he might slip up, and the last thing I need is for the whole school to find out.” Harry could imagine it in his mind, all the gossip and laughing at his expense if people knew what he was thinking. 

Percy nodded firmly. “If that happened then your chances of achieving success would be severely hampered, if not entirely destroyed. I will say nothing about it, I assure you. And if at any time you want to stop questing, then that will be your own decision.” 

“Questing,” Harry repeated, with a small grin. “I like that word. So, will you help me plan this thing? I don’t know where to start and I could really do with your help.” 

“Yes, of course.” Percy gave him a conspiratorial smile. “We’ll work it out together. As it happens, I’ve previously borrowed a number of useful books about projects and how to run them from the library, so I think I can see how to commence things. I think firstly we should explore the basic concepts - there will be fundamental principles to this quest which must be mapped out carefully.” 

“Err, right,” Harry said uncertainly. He had no idea where to go with this. 

Percy chuckled. “Don’t worry, I’ll explain everything as we go. Now, I think we should meet again soon. I need to work on a couple of essays and finish those first. It’s your quidditch practice tomorrow I know, and I have a couple of essays to finish the day after that. Shall we say in three days, here in this room and around the same time? Or perhaps ten minutes later – I’ll have to walk back from Herbology.” 

“Yeah, great. But Percy, are you sure that you want to be involved? If Professor Snape finds out and things do go wrong, he could turn on you too!” 

“I think that’s unlikely, but even if he does—” Percy hesitated. “Harry, I know that this quest is intended to help you, but perhaps it can do something for me too. Now I am not one to betray confidences and what I am about to tell you must not be spoken of to others.” 

“I promise, it won’t be,” Harry said quickly. 

“Well, then… you should know that I have heard similar complaints about Professor Snape before. One of the other prefects raised this issue with the Headmaster at a Prefects meeting two terms ago. His younger brother was then a first year and not naturally gifted at brewing potions. It seems that the boy had been having nightmares about Potions class because he was so frightened of what Professor Snape might say to him. The other members of his dorm had been woken up more than once. The student concerned had asked if he could stop studying Potions, but as you know it is not an elective.” 

Harry felt a confusing mix of emotions. Empathy for the other student, who maybe had it even worse than he had with Snape, but also an unexpected rush of triumph at the fact that he wasn’t the only one who felt this way about Snape. Other people knew what he was like too, and they wanted to make changes as well! “What did the Headmaster say?” 

“Oh, he was very pleasant about it. He promised to speak with Professor Snape, but he also said that Potions is a difficult and stressful class to teach, and that students who caused potential safety breaches were naturally going to be dealt with in a… robust manner.” Percy paused for a few moments then, as if unsure how to express his thoughts. “The prefect concerned turned to me during the meeting and asked me to confirm that I agreed with him, since Ginny was in first year too then of course. However, I didn’t want the Headmaster to think badly of me so I just said that I didn’t know enough about it to say either way. Later that evening, the prefect concerned yelled at me for not backing him up and didn’t speak to me for some weeks after that. I should have said something, I know that now \- I regret that I didn’t have the courage to speak out. After all, even if I am personally able to work well with Professor Snape, that doesn’t mean others can.” 

__

Harry nodded. “Thanks for telling me that, Percy. Do you know what happened to the first-year student?” 

“Err, as to the eventual outcome… I understand that the prefect taught his brother a Silencing charm to use in the dorm and arranged for Madam Pomphrey to supply him with doses of Dreamless Sleep potion when required.” 

“Those are the symptoms, Percy. What about the cause?” Harry said angrily. “Nothing was done, was it? That poor kid’s probably still having nightmares about Snape now!” 

“Hopefully not, but you must bear in mind that Headmaster Dumbledore is an extremely wise and powerful wizard,” Percy replied defensively. “He has a great deal of other important issues to deal with, some of which are of the highest importance for wizarding society as a whole.” 

Harry frowned. He remembered visits to Hagrid’s hut, hearing the man’s regular muttering of “Great man, Dumbledore…” whenever the Headmaster was mentioned. Hagrid’s loyalty was constant and unbreakable, even though Harry now knew, after the events of his last school year, that Dumbledore hadn’t been able to save Hagrid from being expelled and having his wand snapped. Harry was loyal to the Headmaster himself and respected him deeply, but nobody – not even the wizard whom Voldemort himself was said to have feared – could get things right all of the time. 

“If that’s so Percy, then the Headmaster might be grateful for our help. And even if he isn’t, I’m going to try and do something about Snape. You can still walk away, if you want to.” 

Percy glanced across at him, and unexpectedly smiled. “You won’t get rid of me that easily, Harry. I think a project as difficult as this one positively demands the involvement of your Head Boy! I’ll write up some notes for your consideration and bring them along to your next meeting. Before then, there are a couple of things I’d like you to do. Firstly, do you still have any of your old Potions essays?” 

“Umm, I think there are of some of last year’s in my trunk still.” 

“Excellent. Dig a few of them out tonight, will you, and send them to me as soon as you can by owl. Don’t use your own owl, she’s too noticeable. Secondly, I want you to find a way to casually bring up Potions lessons while talking with third year Ravenclaws or Hufflepuffs. Try and learn from them what Professor Snape is like in their class. It should be easy enough to gather their opinions without causing suspicion.” 

“Good idea,” Harry said. He’d rarely spent so much time with Percy before and the other boy seemed much nicer than Harry had realised. It was rather a shame that he didn’t get on better with his brothers, though he and Ginny seemed close enough. Harry decided to try and speak positively about Percy to Ron and the twins if he had the chance. 

\-----------------------IIII----------------------- 

Harry felt a lot better after his talk with Percy. This quest was definitely not something that he could do alone, but maybe if they worked together... having said that, Harry wasn’t sure how far along the scale of impossibility this project really was. Before going to bed that night, he searched his trunk and found five old Potions essays. He sent them to Percy the next morning, careful to use one of the least conspicuous school owls. “Sorry Hedwig”, he said to his obviously offended owl, “It has to be one of the others, Percy said so. I know you’d have done a much better job if I could have sent you, but I’d have had to explain it to everyone why your owl was seen bringing mail to Percy. You see, you’re so beautiful that people can’t help but notice you.” Hedwig hooted at him angrily, but after Harry’s best efforts at persuasive flattery along with some increasingly florid compliments, she calmed down and allowed him to feed her some owl treats as compensation for being so disgracefully treated. 

The next step was to speak to the other third years about their experiences of Potions class. Harry was able to engineer a few opportunities for this over the next couple of days, with the unwitting assistance of Ron. Harry knew from past experience that his friend would complain about Snape whenever anyone brought up the subject of Potions. All it took was a quick mention while Ravenclaws or Hufflepuffs were nearby of the next Potions lesson or their current homework assignment and Ron would return to complaining about these things, which then Harry easily led into a ‘ours versus yours’ Potions class comparison with the other students. Even so, this didn’t seem to yield much useful information. Potions was very hard, they agreed. The essays were indeed very tough. Points loss did sometimes happen, which was vexing. Professor Snape absolutely was very stern. Still, it seemed to Harry that the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs didn’t feel as personally _aggrieved_ as he and Ron, and the other Gryffindors, did about Snape. If only he could watch their lesson, with Snape quite unawares, and get his own idea of what the man was like when teaching the other two houses. But that was impossible, of course. 

Actually, it turned out to be entirely possible. And also, unbelievably risky. He did it anyway. 

\-----------------------IIII----------------------- 

“In today’s lesson you will be brewing Skele-Gro. This potion is used to repair or replace broken bones. It is important to remember that it requires particular precision and care in order to be effective in its creation. Do not take your focus off the potion for a moment, else failure will be the likely result. I expect and require that all students complete this potion competently, or I will be exceedingly displeased.” A quick stroke of Professor Snape’s wand brought the recipe up on the board. “All of you, fetch your ingredients and begin.” 

Harry was perched low on his broom at the back of the classroom, both it and himself entirely covered by his invisibility cloak. He’d used Sticking charms to make sure that the cloak wouldn’t slip off, along with Silencing charms to ensure that he made no sound. Harry had flown into the Potions classroom behind the last Hufflepuff student, just before Snape had closed the door. He held position high up in the corner, hunched over and with his head almost touching the ceiling. Nobody had any idea that he was there and Harry very much intended to keep it that way. He watched as the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students quickly assembled the ingredients they needed and started work. For some reason Harry was astonished to find that they were brewing the same potion that he’d been working on the other day, which was silly of course; the two classes were bound to be running pretty much identical curriculums. Anyway, it would make it much easier to compare Snape’s teaching styles across the houses. 

Already though, he could see the differences - they were subtle, but noticeable. The students seemed wary of Snape, a little nervous perhaps, but not actually terrified. There were several pairs of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs working together, and no obvious enmity to be seen between the two houses. The students spoke to each other in low voices as they agreed who would do what and checked how to proceed or when add new ingredients, which seemed to be allowed as Snape made no protest. And that talk Snape had given – it wasn’t quite the same explanation as before, surely? Harry couldn’t remember the words from his own lesson exactly but this time none of the students had been picked on, as he’d been. Harry felt his anger building and he fumed in silence as he watched Snape. The man was prowling sternly around the room as he usually did, checking each potion in turn; his sharp eyes missed nothing. 

“Chop those puffer-fish pieces smaller,” he told Hannah Abbott tersely. “About half the size, or they won’t dissolve correctly when you add them to the potion.” 

“Yes sir,” she said quickly. Snape turned away as Anthony Goldstein raised his hand. 

“Sir? Is my potion meant to be smoking like this?” 

Snape checked it briefly. “Yes. Another five stirs clockwise will stabilise the base ingredients before you proceed to add the doxy.” 

“Oh yes, of course. Thanks, sir.” Snape nodded curtly and moved on. 

Harry wanted to scream with frustration, but held it in, too nervous to speak despite his own Silencing charm. Snape _knew_ how to teach! He knew! This was actual _helping people_! 

As the lesson continued, Harry – with nothing to do other than watch the students below him – could see that most of the potions were progressing well. He even took a bit of a risk by slowly gliding above each work station and looking into the cauldrons. Only one pair of students seemed to be having issues with their potion – Lilith Moon and Sally-Anne Perks, right on the front row. Harry spotted the problems as they happened; Lilith added twice the correct quantity of beetle wings and Sally-Anne’s stirring was partly anti-clockwise, which he knew the potion didn’t call for. Professor Snape was at the back of the room but then he suddenly turned to look around, sniffing the air. Harry realised he’d smelled the potion burning. As the man moved to react, the thick and gluey potion started to bubble wildly and then it exploded without warning, blobs flying into the air in all directions. Harry, who was barely five feet away, had a moment of sheer panic as he instinctively dodged, trying desperately to avoid the potion. If any of it touched his cloak and stuck on it, Snape would know he was there! 

Harry’s seeker reflexes led him to treat the potion globules as if they were quidditch bludgers. He flew around the room erratically as he made desperate attempts to get away from trouble. Unable to manoeuvre properly in the confined space of the classroom, at one point he slammed into the wall and painfully knocked his elbow against the stone surface. There was no safety there though and he flew to the other side of the room, only just avoiding a collision with Snape as the man strode towards the failing potion. He’d come so close that Snape must surely have noticed the whoosh of air above him? However, Harry thought that Snape too would have been distracted by the explosion and the class was no longer quiet and orderly - students were calling out in panic, moving back or diving for cover and trying to prevent damage to themselves or their potions. A couple of them had been hit by the exploding potion and were moaning in pain. 

“ _Evanesco_!” Snape shouted, and the potion vanished. “Calm down, all of you! Clearly that potion had too many beetle wings, and I’d be _very_ surprised if your stirring pattern was correct. Miss Moon, Miss Perks - twenty points each from Hufflepuff for putting yourself and others in danger. Get to the hospital wing for treatment. Anyone else who needs medical assistance, go with them.” Snape looked around the room. “Mr. Entwhistle, I see that you are finished brewing your potion. “Accompany them to ensure they reach the hospital wing safely. Return here to clear up when you have done so.” 

Feeling immensely thankful, Harry took the opportunity to fly out of the door as the injured students and their escort left the room. Snape hadn’t seen him, nobody had seen him, but it had been a near thing. He would _not_ be trying anything like that again. 

\-----------------------IIII----------------------- 

“YOU DID WHAT?!” 

“Well in my own defence Percy, I don’t think it’s actually against the rules to watch another class in progress, even if you _are_ invisible at the time.” 

“Even if that is correct, which I _highly_ doubt, it would not have prevented Professor Snape from punishing you severely if he had found out. Really Harry, what were you thinking? That is hardly the way to gain his good opinion!” 

Harry hadn’t expected such criticism and he didn’t like being put on the spot. Once he’d got over the shock of nearly being caught, it had seemed like a rather cool adventure to sneak into the other third year Potions class. It had been quite difficult not to boast about it to Ron and Hermione. Still, perhaps he shouldn’t have done it. Although, perhaps just not telling Percy he’d done it might have been better. “Yeah, but--“ 

The other boy looked even more disapproving. “It’s no good trying to protest; you were in the wrong. Surely you’re not the type of student who thinks the rules don’t apply to him?” 

Harry flushed, hating the question. At that moment he could hear Snape’s voice in his head, scornful and angry. _“You reckless, stupid boy, Potter- too important to follow the rules, are we? Yes, just like your arrogant father...”_

“Look, I know it was a risk. I knew that at the time. I do understand that the rules apply to me and I was willing to accept being punished if I was found out – but fortunately, I wasn’t. Professor Snape doesn’t know!” 

“But I _do_ know, and I’m Head Boy. My role is to assist the Professors to maintain school discipline, Harry. Surely you understand that?” 

Harry was horrified. “Are you going to tell on me? No, you can’t!” 

Percy looked at him gravely. “You’ve placed me in a difficult position, Harry. It’s something of a conflict of interest, in fact. I approve of your quest, of course I do, but I can hardly look the other way when presented with recklessness of this magnitude. You put yourself and others at risk by your actions. If you had been seen then the students would have probably lost concentration and made mistakes with their potions. They might even have thought it was some kind of ambush from Peeves and fired spells off at you. You or one of your possessions could have fallen off your broom and landed on top of them, or in their cauldrons. Indeed, as you were invisible Professor Snape could have cast a spell through what he thought was empty air and hit you. I don’t think _Evanesco_ works on people, but if he’d used another spell that does…” 

For the first time, Harry felt genuinely guilty about what he’d done. “I’m really sorry. I hadn’t thought of it that way. You’re right, I made a mistake. Look, why don’t you give me a detention? You don’t have to explain why, exactly. You can say it’s for, erm, illegally flying a broomstick in the corridors. That bit’s true, anyway – I had to fly along a bit before I found somewhere to hide while I removed the spells and took my cloak off.” 

“Very well,” Percy agreed with relief. “That seems reasonable. Report to Mr. Filch tomorrow at 7pm. I’ll let him know to expect you.” 

“Right,” Harry sighed. He’d found from experience that punishments you knew you deserved and ones you really didn’t were equally annoying when Filch was overseeing them. 

“And you promise not to do anything foolish as part of this quest in the future?” 

“Alright, I promise.” 

“Very well then, let us turn back to the matter at hand. We’ll begin with your potions essays.” Percy pulled them out of his bag and Harry visibly relaxed at the change of subject. “I have read these and given each of them a grade. I used a Concealing Charm to hide Professor Snape’s grade until I’d finished, so that I could carry out an independent assessment. Now he’s the expert of course, but I can’t help but feel that you’ve been under-marked. And I don’t see any FEM notes, which given the grades you received is most surprising. Take a look.” 

Harry picked up the five essays. Professor Snape had marked four of them P for Poor and one as A for acceptable. Percy’s grades were one P, three As and an E. An actual _exceeds expectation_! “Can you mark all of my essays from now on?” he joked. “I think I might do better in Professor Weasley’s class than Professor Snape’s!” 

“Ah, that would be another quest entirely,” Percy said with a smile. “As you can see, I have added some FEM notes for you at the end of the parchment.” 

Harry looked at each essay in turn. Percy had jotted down some concise bullet points listing anything which was missing from each essay, and also a couple of incorrect facts or sections where more detail was needed. “What are FEM notes, exactly?” 

“FEM means ‘For Extra Marks’. Surely you know that? Professor Snape uses them to explain how your essay writing can be improved and score more highly in forthcoming essays. They make useful reference points for future work.” 

“I’ve never had any of those,” Harry said resentfully. “He always just writes the grade, there are never any notes as well.” 

“None at all?” Percy said in astonishment. “I wonder if the same is true of your classmates?” 

Suddenly Harry was drawn back to the memory of the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff Potions class earlier that day. He’d been nervously flying behind some of the students as they walked towards the classroom and there’d been a laughing conversation about Potions grades between several of the Ravenclaw boys. And yes, Michael Corner had pulled out an essay and waved it cheerfully under Terry Boot’s nose, saying: _“No FEMs for me last week, and none this week either, I bet!”_ At the time Harry had just assumed it was some Ravenclaw in-joke, but now he realised that was Corner’s way of boasting that his essay was so good, Professor Snape thought it couldn’t be improved. “That probably depends on which house they’re in,” he said quietly, trying to keep his temper in check. 

“Hmm, yes. Harry, I trust you won’t take offence at this, but I’ve seen you working on homework in the Gryffindor common room with Ron and Hermione many times. That being the case, I have to ask – are all these essays entirely your own work?” 

He frowned, not liking the question at all. “What do you mean?” 

“If Professor Snape thinks you’ve had help from Hermione or anyone else then he may have adjusted your marks accordingly. The teachers can usually tell, you know, at least the experienced ones can… Professor Flitwick says that writing styles are as distinctive and individual as voices, and it’s obvious if there’s been any outside interference in essay writing.” 

“Well I didn’t have any outside interference,” Harry said defiantly. This was true. Well, mostly true. Partly true, at least. “Hermione looks over our essays sometimes, but we still write them ourselves. Anyway, if Snape thought that even for a moment, he’d have definitely told me so and punished me for it as well.” 

Percy nodded. “Very well, we’ll rule that out as an influencing factor. However, you notice that I’ve agreed with one of Professor Snape’s P markings and only one score of mine is above Acceptable. These essays, as I see them, represent a waste of potential. You’re an intelligent wizard who could do better at Potions, Harry – and you must do better, if you are to succeed as a quest master.” 

Harry was alarmed. Although his ideas of a grand and ambitious quest were still nebulous (though really, who wouldn’t want to be called a _quest master_!), working harder at Potions was decidedly not part of the plan. Perhaps it would actually be easier to run a marathon. “You really think he’ll like me if I try harder in his class?” 

“Like you? No. But that isn’t the aim, is it? The objective of this quest, as you described it, is for Professor Snape to teach you well and treat you fairly. I expect he’ll be more willing to do so if he can see that you are improving in both your Potions essays and practical work. So please, from now on complete the essays yourself, just to be safe.” 

“If you insist,” Harry groaned. 

“I do,” Percy smiled. “Now, describe to me as precisely as you can all of the differences between your Skele-Gro lesson and the one that Professor Snape gave to the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. I want to know exactly what happened and where you think the problems lie.” 

Harry nodded and did his best to give the other boy a full and complete description of both lessons. “You can see what I mean Percy, can’t you?” Harry said anxiously. He wasn’t totally sure whether he was actually believed or not. 

“Oh yes, absolutely. But if I were you then I’d be encouraged by what I’d learned. After all, you’re only seeking parity with the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students. Equal treatment is a very fair request.” 

“I shouldn’t _have_ to request it though, should I?” 

“No, but we are where we are. Harry, I can tell that you’re very angry about this whole situation. Well, I could see that from our last talk in any case. However, your anger will be your enemy in this matter, if you’re not careful.” 

“My enemy? I don’t understand.” 

Percy leaned back, looking at him intently. “As you know I’m on your side with this, so I hope you will forgive a little plain talking on my part. I’ve witnessed a number of confrontations between yourself and some of the Slytherin students since you started at Hogwarts. Mr. Malfoy, especially. When someone is rude or unpleasant towards you, then I feel that you are sometimes rather easily provoked into hasty and unwise actions. If you do that in Professor Snape’s company as well then you merely confirm his bad opinion of you.” 

“I can keep my temper,” Harry ground out, though at that moment it was proving difficult to do so. “Snape’s a git though, and you can’t pretend otherwise, Percy. He’s got a filthy temper himself - the slightest thing sets him off.” 

“Then you’ll have to learn how to calm him down, don’t you? And yes, that will be hard. I would expect no less as part of an _Almost Impossible_ project!” 

Despite the still bubbling anger, Harry found that he was smiling a little. Harry Potter, calm down Professor Snape? Not likely! “I don’t think even the Headmaster can calm Snape down, Percy.” 

“Even if that’s true, you’ll have to try anyway. You’ve set yourself a true master’s challenge, Harry. It will be unpleasant, but no matter! Of course, I do wonder if you can see the wider implications of what you have in mind?” 

“Erm, not really. What wider implications could there be?” 

Percy reached into his bag and pulled out another scroll, quite a thick one. “We’ll talk about that next time we meet. Same time on Wednesday, shall we say?” Harry nodded. “Fine. Dinner will be served soon and we’ve been over a lot of ground for one session. The scroll has some questions and points to think about over the next two days.” He handed the rolled-up parchment to Harry, who looked at it warily. “Go on, it won’t bite you! I’ve given you my honest opinions, and hopefully in a constructive fashion, but make sure you’re alone when you read it anyway. Take down notes of your thoughts as you’re looking through this, Harry. I need you to be honest as you do so, or we’ll never get anywhere. At our next session, I suggest we start to create a plan of action. You know what you want, or at least you claim to… the next step is to work out how you can make it happen. Bring plenty of ideas with you next time!” 

“Do you have any ideas yourself? Have you written those down?” he said eagerly. 

“Yes I have, but mostly these are more thinking points. As I said before, this is your quest. You’re the leader on this, Harry - I’m just helping out. Indeed, from our next meeting onwards I’ll expect you to start taking charge of the discussions,” he finished seriously. 

Harry nodded. He was _definitely_ nervous about reading the parchment now. “I’m in charge. Right.” 

“Don’t look so worried, Harry. After all, this type of leadership opportunity may represent the first step on your road to becoming a prefect in a couple of years. Did I ever tell you about how I was chosen to be a prefect?” 

“Err, yeah, I’m sure you must have mentioned it before…” 

“Yes well, I was in my fourth year when Professor McGonagall needed some assistance with a school property audit. The Ministry requires these audits to be completed every ten years. It’s a massive job and Professor McGonagall couldn’t possibly do it alone so she asked for student volunteers. Well, by then I’d already started to get interested in working at the Ministry, so I sensed this could be an opportunity to dip my toe in the water, so to speak. Did I tell you that Minister Fudge sent me a personal owl of congratulations at the end of the audit?” 

Harry sighed inwardly, and listened with resigned acceptance to Percy’s less-than-riveting tale of auditing school property – “The statues alone Harry, I had to count them all five times before I could account for every one! I honestly think the twins were moving them around when I wasn’t looking...” – as they walked back to the Great Hall for dinner. 


	3. Our corporate values

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All rights to the Harry Potter universe belong to JK Rowling.

_Review the proposed project, the factors of influence, the tools, people and time needed. Begin discussing and creating scenarios for how to achieve the desired outcomes._

__

Breakfast the next morning felt rather awkward. Dean, who was sitting not far down the table, had just received a letter from home. He mentioned to Seamus and Neville that his cousin was in the final stages of training for the Berlin marathon, which was taking place in a couple of weeks. Neville was clearly excited about, for once, understanding a reference to something muggle. He joined in the conversation eagerly, which led to him explaining all about Mr. Granger’s marathon plans and the Almost Impossible challenge. Every word was a guilty reminder to Harry that he was keeping a secret from his two best friends. He noticed that Percy was carefully looking the other way and pretending to be completely engrossed in reading his Charms textbook. 

Transfiguration was first lesson that day for the third-year Gryffindors. Harry, Ron and Hermione walked out of the Great Hall at the same time as Draco Malfoy, with Crabbe and Goyle the customary one pace behind him. 

“Oh look,” Malfoy said with a snigger, “It’s Potter and his little friends. I’m surprised you look so relaxed Potter, with Sirius Black out there somewhere. He could be anywhere, after all – maybe he’s camped out in the Forbidden Forest, just waiting for the chance to get you. Black killed a dozen muggles before he was captured, people he didn’t even _know_. And now he’s broken out of prison to come for you! I bet he knows all sorts of really painful dark curses. Who knows, maybe he’ll teach you a few when he catches up with you…” 

“Shut up, Malfoy!” Ron snapped. “Black won’t get anywhere close to Harry, we’ll make sure of that!” 

“Pay no attention to him, Harry,” Hermione told him calmly, though he could see that she was as angry as Ron was. “Sirius Black is a danger to all of us, and only a really callous and unpleasant person would try to use that fact to scare others.” She glared at Malfoy, who sneered back and muttered something under his breath. 

Harry wanted to curse Malfoy, and wipe that nasty expression off his face – but somehow, he held himself back. “Let’s go,” he said. They walked out of the hall, Malfoy’s mocking laughter echoing after him. It was only the following day when he wondered if it had been Percy’s observations about his temper which had somehow influenced his decision not to escalate the argument with Malfoy. 

\-----------------------IIII----------------------- 

It wasn’t until late that evening that Harry had the chance to read the notes which Percy had given him. His detention with Filch had taken several hours and had been as wearisome as Harry had expected. The caretaker had gleefully assigned him to dusting and cleaning the frames of all of the fifth-floor portraits, without magic. It turned out that the occupants of said frames had very definite ideas as to how they should be maintained. They were quick to shout complaints if he left any specks of dust on the frame or didn’t polish it to a high enough shine. A couple of knights challenged him to a duel as a result, and an energetic baron striding round on top of a black dragon kept trying to catch him out with surprise attacks. Still, for a detention it was at least better than scrubbing cauldrons or writing lines. 

As Harry didn’t get back to the common room until 10.30pm, he found that Ron and the others had already settled down for sleep. He quietly changed into his pyjamas and pulled the curtains round his bed before opening the scroll of notes from Percy. 

_HP QUEST – ASSISTIVE NOTES_

__

_Stated objective of the quest: “I want Professor Snape to be a good teacher to me and treat me fairly.”_

__

_Given the above, a good starting point is to define how progress in this quest can be measured, and to set precise benchmarks for what a successful outcome will be._

__

_How will the standard of teaching be demonstrated?_

_a)_ _Application of FEM notes to all written work?_

_b)_ _Provision of helpful assistance and suggestions during classes?_

_c)_ _Adjustments in PS’s teaching methods?_

__

_How will fairness of treatment be demonstrated?_

_a)_ _Improvement in marks for practical and written work, if such marks are justified?_

_b)_ _Methods of addressing HP, in comparison to other Gryffindor or non-Slytherin students? Prevention of PS’s references to HP’s father and other matters unrelated to school-work?_

_c)_ _Ending of unreasonable points deduction? Awarding points to HP for praiseworthy work or good performance in class?_

Harry snickered softly. Whatever he did to help his relationship with Snape, he would surely never be given any points by the man! Still, he was impressed by the other suggestions. It made sense that they should define exactly how Snape’s teaching needed to change – otherwise, how would the man know? 

__

_Possible topics for research_ _:_

__

_# Analyse teaching methods used by other Professors, identify good practices and consider potential applicability to Potions._

__

_# Consider instigating confidential discussions with other Professors about PS, and issues arising thereof. (Recommend Professor McGonagall for this, also Professor Flitwick – both can be trusted to be discreet)._

__

_# Learn more about PS’s relationship with HP’s father – past history, causes for ongoing resentment? Consider speaking to Hogwarts staff or others who were present in school at the time when PS attended as a student. **Harry – although this would be useful information to have, if you ask such questions then you should be prepared for hearing difficult comments about your father. He died a hero’s death but we were at war for some years, and relations then at school between Gryffindor and Slytherin students surely reflected that ongoing conflict. I can only speculate, but it is possible that damage may have been caused to PS which has not yet healed. Think carefully before proceeding on this.** _

Harry pushed the scroll aside and sat up in his bed. That last comment of Percy’s made him feel uncomfortable. He didn’t like the reference to Professor Snape having perhaps being ‘damaged’ by his father. Snape was a nasty piece of work now and he’d have been equally nasty as a student. If his father wasn’t nice to Snape then he probably deserved it! 

But still… ever since Harry had arrived at Hogwarts, Snape had uttered so many ‘just like your father’ remarks that there must be a lot of ill-feeling there. Could it be that this quest might only lead to Harry poking around in an already open wound? Harry thought about that for a while and then decided to postpone making any decision on learning about his father until another time. With a certain amount of trepidation, he continued to read. __

__

_Actions to be taken:_

__

_You will have to decide how best to influence PS, in order to change his behaviour. There are a number of options for this, including those I have listed below. You may be able to think of others. They each carry an element of risk, so should be considered carefully._

__

_# Requesting a discussion with PS about your school-work. Ask him for suggestions on how to improve your Potions work. Consider taking someone with you for moral support (I would be willing to be there). Possibly consider a direct attempt at discussing why he dislikes you so much, as a first step to finding common ground. **Harry - see my comments below about anger management first!!** _

__

_# Taking the issue to PM as your Head of House and asking for her assistance. She may be able to intercede with PS on your behalf. **This is a good first step, I would say, Harry. As Deputy Headmistress I don’t believe she has any actual staff management role in relation to the other Professors, but I’m certain PS respects her** . ****_

__

_# Approach the Headmaster and ask for his help. **I would suggest trying PM first, if only as a courtesy.** _

__

_You will also need to think about whether anything else can be done, if none of these options work._

__

_Other points for HP to consider_ _:_

__

_# PS’s criticisms of you may be harsh, but are any of them partly or wholly justified? **Harry – when two people vehemently disagree, there are often faults on both sides. Be open to potential ways in which you can improve your own conduct and be a better Potions student. By the time you read this, we will have already spoken about essay writing, which is one such example. Ask yourself, are there others? Has PS told you anything that you can learn from? I know this type of self-examination may be difficult to do, but I believe it to be essential. There’s no shame in admitting when you’re wrong, you know!** _

__

_# As well as improvements in your written work, look for potential ways to do better in practical assignments, as well as in other lessons. Join Potions club? Start a study group of some kind? **Ron might benefit from this too!** _

__

_# Do you feel comfortable about excluding RW and HG from this quest? Your reasons for this are logical, but you should be prepared for the fact that they will be angry when they eventually learn of it. And anyway, if you accomplish anything noteworthy then the whole school will soon know! Some students appear to do nothing apart from gossip… so you’ll need to be prepared for questions to be asked._

__

_# Successful completion of this quest requires a calm approach. Avoid meeting anger with anger. Be the bigger person! This will give you the moral high ground and remove a possible reason for criticising you. Consider studying meditation and emotional balance to assist with this; a list of applicable books can be provided if required. Anger restraint should be practised not only with PS but with students as well, including - and especially - members of Slytherin house. **Harry – I strongly recommend this! Your regular clashes with DM can hardly be pleasing to his Head of House! And additionally, consider this: DM could be used as a - for want of a better phrase - ‘anger practice dummy’. Make use of him to test out any techniques you think might help you to deal with PS!** _

__

_And finally – you should consider the impact of your plans on other students. How will they react to PS acting reasonably towards you, supposing the same is not true for them? If you can make PS treat you well but then you witness him treating other Gryffindors unfairly, will you really feel that your quest has been a success?_

__

_Good luck, and I’ll do all I can to help you! Percy._

__

Angrily, Harry thrust the parchment into his bag, turned out the light and lay down. Percy had a right nerve saying all of this! Harry decided he’d get some rest now and he wouldn’t think about this anymore, not tonight! Maybe not ever! It was no use, though; his mind was far too agitated and worked up for him to settle down and sleep quickly. Some of Percy’s comments, despite the non-judgemental wording, felt far too pointed for comfort. 

\-----------------------IIII----------------------- 

The next morning, after eventually falling asleep for a few hours, Harry was in a calmer state of mind. He awoke early, at 5.30am, with the dorm still dark and quiet. After casting a quick _Lumos_ , he reached for the parchment and read it through again. He had to admit that Percy had obviously spent a lot of time working on the notes, and some of his suggestions were rather good. Harry especially liked the idea of practising his anger-control skills on an unwitting Draco Malfoy – for once the Slytherin boy could be a help instead of a hindrance! Even so, Harry was clear in his mind that this would be hard work. It was not the kind of thing he’d had planned when he came up with the idea of a quest. Perhaps then, despite his mental dismissal of Neville’s _Fifty Fantastic Flights, Fights and Fables_ book, he’d actually been sub-consciously wanting the type of quest that involved battling fearsome creatures in a heroic manner? Working harder at Potions was rather tame in comparison. 

If that was so then he was being a bit thoughtless, Harry decided. After all, he’d already done those things; he’d battled a troll, a Cerberus, a possessed Defence teacher and a basilisk in his first two years of school. He didn’t need that kind of danger yet again! What he did need was competent instruction in Potions – and all of the other Gryffindors did too. Because Percy was correct; how could his quest be won if Snape didn’t treat _everyone_ decently? It was, Harry thought, selfish just to be thinking about himself. Percy hadn’t said that outright, but he must have been thinking so. But what if, just _what if_ , by his actions in this quest he was able to generate permanent change to the way that Professor Snape taught Potions? What if Gryffindors coming to the school in years to come, maybe even after Harry himself had graduated, were taught well and didn’t have to worry about being embarrassed or humiliated in Potions class ever again? That would be a noble purpose for his quest, he was sure. Hogwarts had given him a lot, Harry knew - and maybe through this quest, he could give something back. Smiling, he reached for an empty piece of parchment and started to write. 

\-----------------------IIII----------------------- 

“Hi,” Harry said as he walked into the empty classroom which had become their usual meeting place. “I hope you haven’t been waiting too long?” 

“Only a few minutes,” Percy said with a smile. “To be honest, I wasn’t totally sure that you would come at all.” 

“Because of the notes you gave me? Well, they were a bit of a difficult read, but you were right about a lot of things. I suppose I can see how you got twelve OWLs now!” 

Percy’s sudden look of extreme self-importance almost caused Harry to laugh out loud. “Well, thank you Harry. It’s true that I have made it something of a speciality of mine, to analyse situations and suggest solutions. Those skills will be vital in the Ministry, of course! So, shall we begin?” 

“Oh yes, right.” Harry could see that Percy was waiting for him to take the lead as he’d instructed last time, so he took out his notes. “So, there are a few things we should start with. Firstly, you’re right that this needs to be more than just about me. As well as working on Snape’s personal dislike of me, I’m going to try and do something about his overall teaching style. What’s he like in NEWTS class, Percy?” 

“ _Extremely_ demanding,” the other boy said with a grimace. “He sets the highest standards. Only students who achieve an O in their Potions OWL can study it at NEWT level. As so few students can take NEWTS potions, he teaches all of the houses together. I do notice some disparity in his points markings perhaps, in favour of the Slytherins. Other than that, though, the lessons are acceptably performed.” 

Harry made a note of Percy’s comments, all the same. “Right. Well, I’m going to start by speaking with Professor McGonagall; I owled her earlier asking for an interview. I’ll talk to her about Snape and also find out a bit more about how he and my father acted towards each other. She should also be able to suggest other people I can ask about their history. I do know that I might hear things which are… unpleasant. I think I’d rather know though, if my Dad was a bit, well, flawed.” 

Percy nodded encouragingly. “You know Harry, we first arrive at Hogwarts as children and seven years later we leave as adults. For some people the path towards maturity will be smooth and easy to navigate, while for others it’s rocky and strewn with mis-steps. Your father may have made mistakes but that doesn’t need to change how you see him. He was a fine man, and you should be proud of his achievements.” 

“Oh, I am,” Harry said immediately. “Well, we’ve made a start on this, but I don’t know how far it’ll get us. I mean, don’t you think it must all have been tried before? Snape’s been teaching here for years, after all. Other Gryffindors must have complained to Professor McGonagall and the Headmaster, and yet nothing’s changed. That’s why I don’t think talking to either of them will do any good on its own, even though I will try. “ 

“Don’t look too far ahead, Harry. Baby steps, and all that! So, can I do anything to help?” 

“Yeah, maybe. Could you possibly get hold of some information about how other magical schools teach Potions, or their approach to teaching in general? Maybe we can pick up some useful tips that way. Also, could you maybe use your position as Head Boy as a cover and chat to people in the other each of the school years about how they’re finding schoolwork? Then you can ask how they get on in Potions and find out what their view of Professor Snape is without arousing suspicion. It would be really useful to have some feedback from students from every year about Potions classes as they see them.” 

“Consider it done, Harry. Or at least, it will be done by the time I next see you.” 

“Great! Oh, and also, you mentioned about controlling my anger. I think that’s going to be a must. Snape really knows how to wind me up! Can you let me have that reading list, when you get chance?” 

With a grin, Percy pulled a piece of parchment out and passed it across. “I rather thought you might be asking.” 

Harry blushed. “Thanks. I’ll start working on that. I like the idea of rehearsing with Malfoy. I’m also going to work harder at Potions and set up a third-year study group, as you suggested. I’ll ask Hermione to help me with that.” 

“A study group is a good idea, but for Potions it would only be able to focus on theory – it would cost too much for you to buy the ingredients to practice brewing of potions. That’s why I suggested Potions club as well. It’s run for students in all years and supervised by a rota of sixth and seventh years, including myself at times. You might find it useful.” 

“Doesn’t Snape supervise the Potions club sessions, then?” 

“No. He’s our sponsor and very involved in the background but he lets us operate the club ourselves, unless we ask for assistance. Two or three times each term he holds masterclasses for club members but those are entirely optional, and separate to normal club meetings. I really think you’d find it worthwhile to come along.” 

Harry sighed. He could see all of his leisure time disappearing entirely for the next few weeks, if not longer. “Fine, I’ll join that too. I’ll see if I can get some of the others to come with me. I’ll still go ahead creating with the study group; it could be useful. Hermione will be good at organising it. She’ll be thrilled at the idea, probably.” 

“And what will you tell her when you ask for help with it?” Percy asked. “She might wonder why you want to do this now.” 

“I’m going to tell her the truth,” Harry said nervously. “Ron as well. I’ll explain everything as soon as I can and bring them along to our next meeting. They’re starting to notice anyway, when I go off on my own to meet up with you – Ron is especially, and I struggle to think of good reasons why. We could probably use some more people to work on this anyway, and you were right – they have to know. I’ll swear them to secrecy first. Can we leave it a week until we get together next time? I’ll need to find the right time to talk to them privately.” 

“As you wish, but please _do not_ tell Ron about your secret visit to the other third-year Potions class. I normally see you as a good example to him, but not that time!” 

He grinned. “Alright, I’ll keep that a secret. So, to recap, I’m going to check out the emotional control books and start working on that, also I’ll see Professor McGonagall and speak to Ron and Hermione. You’re going to work on finding out how other students feel about Snape’s teaching of Potions and gather information about teaching in other magical schools. We’ve got a busy week ahead of us!” 

“For a worthwhile cause, however! Do you have any other plans?” 

“Well, you said that I ought to think about Snape’s criticisms and whether they might be justified. So, I thought about them, I really did. Honestly Percy, I don’t think he’s right about most stuff. He says that I’m arrogant. Am I? It doesn’t feel like I am. Or would I know it even, if I was? Surely arrogant people just think that they really are better than everyone else?” 

Percy chuckled. “In my opinion you are very far from being arrogant, Harry.” 

“Well, that’s good. He also thinks I love being famous and all that celebrity stuff, which is _definitely_ not true. I’d be all too happy to be anonymous, believe me. Also, I think… well, I think he believes that I receive favourable treatment compared to others.” 

“And do you?” The question was asked in a neutral tone, giving no hint of Percy’s own opinion. 

Harry thought about his appointment as a first year seeker, and having a broom of his own bought for him when none of the other first years were allowed one, not even Malfoy who already knew how to fly and whose father had, at the time, been on the school’s Board of Governors. “I, erm… well, maybe once or twice.” 

Percy gave him an approving look. “That’s honest.” 

“You said I needed to be honest if this was to work.” 

“And I hold to that belief. You should remember though, that as long as you don’t actively seek favourable treatment then you can hardly be held responsible for what others choose to do. Anything else?” 

“Oh, this one’s his favourite! He says I’m a reckless Gryffindor who has no hesitation in breaking rules. And I have to admit, I’ve broken quite a few. And I can be reckless. And I am, in fact, a Gryffindor. So, if I’m honest, he’s totally right about that one. I don’t intend to tell him that, though!” 

“Why ever not? If you found the right time to mention it, wouldn’t Professor Snape at least see that you are learning from your mistakes?” 

Harry didn’t want to say what was really in his mind – that he would _hate_ to give Snape the satisfaction of admitting to a fault. And besides, he knew Percy would disapprove but some of his best rule-breaking over the previous two years still seemed perfectly acceptable to him, given what had been at stake. Harry could have tried to explain this, but the memory of Percy’s reaction to his illicit flying trip prevented him. For some reason, losing Percy’s good opinion was something he didn’t want to happen. “I suppose so. Still, I’ve decided not to talk to Snape about anything directly until I’ve started working on ways to keep my temper with him. I’ll get those books from the library as soon as I can.” 

Percy looked pleased. “You’ve considered all of this carefully, Harry. I believe you deserve to be successful. Well done on your progress so far!” 

Harry thanked him, and they headed back to the Gryffindor common room. 

\-----------------------IIII----------------------- 

Late the next evening, Harry was once again in bed with the curtains drawn while he thought about the quest. It was after eleven and the room was quiet. Of the four books that Percy had suggested, there had only been two that he could find in the library - _Preparations for Mind Magics_ and _Tempering your Emotional Extremes for Better Spell-casting._ He didn’t need to read the whole of each book though, as Percy had thoughtfully listed the most relevant chapters. 

Both books were really very interesting however, and Harry thought he’d like to study them in more detail when he had the time. From _Preparations for Mind Magics,_ Harry was rather horrified to learn that the aforementioned ‘Mind Magics’ included legilimency. He’d idly thought to himself a couple of times in the past that Snape could read minds, but even so, it was a distinct shock to find out that it actually _was_ possible to look at another wizard’s thoughts and see their memories. Harry didn’t like the idea at all. Still, the book explained that eye contact was needed for legilimency, which was useful information to know. If he limited his eye contact with Snape to no more than a second or two at a time (which would hardly be difficult, sometimes he could barely stand to look at the man), then it would be very difficult for Snape to learn anything from him. Several chapters of the book were focused on meditation sessions before sleeping, which apparently should be carried out last thing each night as the foundation stone for all mental control. Harry decided to read more about that over the next couple of days, and to start meditating if he could. 

Keen to explore the other book as well, he moved on to _Tempering your Emotional Extremes for Better Spell-casting_. Its author apparently believed that anger could be both an enabling and an inhibiting force, depending on how it was used. The book was filled with examples designed to help the reader think about the best actions to take in a situation where angry emotions might be triggered. Harry selected one to try at random from Chapter Seven. 

__

_“Consider this scenario! Imagine you are a muggle-born witch or wizard walking in Diagon Alley alone one day when a pure-blood wizard you have never met before approaches you and says: **“Mudbloods like you should be thrown out of our world and prevented from coming back! You’re not one of us and you never will be!”** What would you reply? What emotions do you think you would feel, and would you show or conceal them? Write your answer below, then tap the paper with your wand to see our suggestions.” _

There was a box immediately below to jot down his answer in and the next three pages were empty, so Harry assumed there was a Concealing Charm of some sort on them. As the son of a muggleborn witch, he didn’t like the fact that blood status had been used as an example, as if that type of verbal slur was the sort of thing that people _might_ do. However, this book was several decades old and perhaps it was close enough to the sort of thing that Malfoy and his followers might try when they were grown up. If that happened to him, Harry suspected he’d just tell the other wizard to get lost, or maybe just walk away. However, it was amusing to fantasise about a more excessive reaction. He thought a moment, grinned and wrote in the box: _I’d hate him and show it! I’d scream at him and shout -_ **_“I have as much right to be here as you. Now sod off, you in-bred piece of Death Eater scum, or I’ll hex your head off!”_ ** Then he tapped the book as instructed and the rest of the text in the chapter was revealed. 

It seemed as if the book was charmed to respond to what he’d written, as the next section commenced with the firm statement that no, shouting and using highly insulting behaviour were _not_ the best options. _“Your defence is robust and it’s good to stand up for yourself, but remember this – if someone deliberately insults you and you then respond with rage and lose your temper, you’re giving them exactly what they want. Don’t play their game! They’ll soon become disheartened if it seems like their insults are ineffective.” _

“Useful advice,” Harry muttered to himself, astonished. “That’s what Malfoy and Snape do all of the time…” 

The rest of the chapter contained no less than sixty potential replies that could have been used to counter the pureblood wizard’s attack. Harry was amazed at the variety - some examples were sarcastic, a few calm, others humorous, indifferent or silly. He smirked at the first one: “ _Adopt a dismissive tone of voice and facial expression, then tell the wizard: **Without muggleborns like me, this small world of yours would have collapsed from in-breeding centuries ago. And really, that type of vile prejudice is so last century. Now toddle along, will you? The sooner you leave, the sooner I can start forgetting I ever laid eyes on you! Ta ta! ** ” _

He chuckled. Of course, that type of response could be used on Malfoy – as could a number of the others in the book. In fact, Harry was rather excited about trying to throw the Slytherin boy off-balance by using a different style of defence each time they spoke. Snape, though, would immediately punish him for insolence if he tried such a flip approach. Perhaps, for him, something designed to take the heat out of a situation? 

__

_“Try to humanise yourself and make a connection. Maintain a pleasant demeanour and inform him quietly: “ **It’s rather sad, that you express such hatred for someone you have never even met before. We muggleborns, we’re just people, actually. We eat, sleep, worry about our children, cast spells, go to work, complain about the weather – everything that purebloods do. If you could accept that, then you’d see that there’s really no reason to hate us.”** _

A sensible approach in a number of situations, Harry reflected. It was an attempt to be fair, to appeal to the other person to act honourably and reasonably. However, Snape wasn’t reasonable – at least he didn’t seem to be. So, perhaps instead: 

__

_“Remain calm and show no anger. Simply reply: “ **I think you’re very rude but I have no desire to quarrel with you. Excuse me, I must be going.”** _

It was a simple and neat option, but should a Gryffindor refuse to do battle, though, and just walk away? Harry rather thought not, although nobody could fight every battle – and with Snape, perhaps a lack of engagement was always best. Deciding that he had the general idea for now anyway, Harry went back to the index and looked at the other chapter titles which Percy had marked out. Chapter 15 caught his eye at once: _“How to come out on top when someone in authority is your enemy”._ Now that was more like it! This chapter mostly focused on working for a manager who didn’t treat their employees well, but it was close enough to Harry’s situation to make sense to him. He’d just finished the chapter, which contained a lot of useful advice for _“managing upwards”_ and _“negotiating a truce”_ and _“winning through courtesy”_ and _“finding common ground”,_ when he jumped as his curtains were suddenly pulled aside. Ron was there, and his eyes narrowed suspiciously as Harry instinctively closed the book and pushed it under the covers. 

“What are you doing? I saw a bit of light through your curtains when I woke up. What’s that book?” 

“Nothing,” Harry said uncomfortably. “I’m working on a project. Sorry if I woke you. I’m going to sleep anyway now.” 

“You never said anything about a project,” the other boy said accusingly. “Keeping it to yourself, are you? Why?” 

Harry bristled. “As it happens, I was going to tell you and Hermione all about it tomorrow. I’m hoping you’ll both get involved with it – we could use the help.” 

“Well I might be too busy,” Ron snapped. “How long as this project been going on anyway? And you said we - who else knows about it?” 

“Will you two shut it!” Dean whispered, sitting up suddenly. “You woke me up and if you keep on, you’ll wake the other two as well.” 

“Sorry” Harry replied in a low voice, though he was really quite relieved at the interruption. “Let’s get some sleep, Ron. I’ll speak to you about this tomorrow.” His friend shrugged and went back to bed without any more said. To Harry, this felt like a sign that he really should not expect the next day’s conversation to go at all well. 

\-----------------------IIII----------------------- 


	4. Get the ball rolling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All rights to the Harry Potter universe belong to JK Rowling. I don’t own Harry Potter.
> 
> Thanks to everyone who is reading this story, and to those who have left comments and kudos, I really appreciate it!

_Ask others to participate in the project, and take note of their level of enthusiasm or belief that it can or will be successful. Begin working on individual sub-tasks, including those preliminary measures which will pave the way for later project deliveries._

The next morning, Harry awoke just before 6am and was relieved to see that Ron was asleep still. Only Dean was stirring, and Harry apologised again in a low voice for disturbing him the night before. 

“Not a problem,” Dean whispered with a grin. “I could see it was mostly Ron’s fault anyway. I guess if you grow up with six brothers and sisters then waves of noise all over the place just seem like normal. We’re both too early for breakfast, though.” He curled up on his side and picked up a magazine. 

“Yeah, but I think I’ll get dressed anyway,” Harry said. He got ready quickly and left the dorm. Keen to move his quest on from ‘talking’ to ‘doing’, he had an idea for something he could try. Hermione had once referred to Professor Flitwick as someone who always got an early start to the day. Might he already be in his office? It was worth a try. Harry respected the Charms Professor and wanted to get his opinion on Professor Snape if possible, and Percy had vouched for the man’s discretion. After walking through the still-quiet school, Harry knocked on Professor Flitwick’s office door and was pleased to hear a cheery “Enter!” in response. 

“Mr Potter! Good morning,” Flitwick said with a pleasant smile. “This is a surprise. I regularly have early morning calls from members of my own House but not so often from the others. Nothing wrong, I trust?” 

“Oh no, sir. I just wanted to discuss something with you, if that’s okay.” 

“Of course, of course. Sit down, won’t you?” 

Harry did. Now that he’d arrived, he felt rather nervous, but Professor Flitwick was looking at him expectantly. “Professor, there’s something I would like to talk to you about, but if you don’t mind, I wouldn’t want anyone else to know.” 

“You wish to discuss this with matter me, rather than your own Head of House?” 

“Oh, I’ll ask her as well; I’ve sent her a letter asking for an appointment. I’ll probably get a reply at breakfast.” 

“Ah well, in that case, what is this all about?” 

Somewhat to his own surprise, Harry found himself sharing the whole story of his quest to date. “Astonishing,” Professor Flitwick commented at the end of this explanation. “I’ve heard many strange stories in this office over the years, but your tale is… quite remarkable.” 

Harry had no idea whether this counted as approval or disapproval. “I was hoping that you might have some ideas, Professor, something that could help. I expect you’ve worked with Professor Snape for some years.” 

“Yes, quite a few.” Professor Flitwick looked across at Harry seriously. “There’s a great deal that I could tell you about Severus Snape, but I would be breaking a confidence were I to do so. I know him well – not as well as the Headmaster does, but quite closely all the same. We Professors often spend our leisure hours together you know, and of course as a fellow Head of House I often work with him on school administrative matters. He has incredible knowledge of Potions, as well as Defence, and he’s skilled at Charms too. He’s also a very competent Head of House who looks after and protects the Slytherins to the best of his ability. And you know, Professor Snape works hard for the school in many other ways which no student ever has a chance to see. He and I are on good terms with each other, but I am aware that his teaching methods are, shall we say, somewhat stern when it comes to Gryffindor students especially.” 

“That’s right,” Harry chimed in eagerly. “I want to do something about that. Do you think my idea is, well, stupid? I mean…” 

“Stupid? By no means! On the contrary, it’s extremely impressive. I do want to help you, yes I do, very much. I will therefore say this, and it must stay just between the two of us. Professor Snape is a man of stubborn pride, and he has opinions which once formed seem to be set in stone – but on two occasions over the years, I have witnessed him change his mind about people. He moved, gradually, from a negative to a much more positive opinion of them.” 

Harry felt incredibly cheered by this. “Did he really?” 

“Yes, but in both cases, he needed time to adjust, and quite a lot of convincing. You have your work cut out for you, Mr. Potter!” 

Harry grinned. “I can tell, but just knowing it can be done is great.” 

“I can imagine it. You know, Mr. Weasley’s advice to you is really spot-on and I can’t improve on it. There is one other option you could consider trying, however. Have you considered attempting to develop more positive relationships between Gryffindor and Slytherin students? Some form of inter-house co-operation? It’s not been tried for some years.” 

“You mean, make friends with Slytherins?” Harry didn’t know what to say. Even if he was willing to try it then Malfoy definitely wouldn’t be, nor would Ron or Seamus. And why would any of the other Slytherins go along with it? 

“I’d rather say, make connections – or perhaps more appropriately, build bridges,” Flitwick smiled. “You won’t win them all over, but you don’t have to. You could begin by personally inviting the Slytherins to join your planned study group. There may be some interest in certain quarters – though that’s more likely to be the case if you have something they want and they’re willing to make a trade.” 

“Well, it can’t happen then; I don’t have anything they’d want.” 

“Ah but you may do, even if you don’t know it – try initiating a little negotiation and see how they respond! Slytherins like to be successful, Mr. Potter. They like to excel at subjects which interest them, or at which they are motivated to perform well in for whatever reason. They may be willing to tutor yourself and some of your friends in Potions in return for, just as a theoretical example, Miss. Granger helping them with Charms.” 

Harry wasn’t sure that this was a good idea. “I see what you mean sir, but Malfoy would never go along with it.” 

“Well, Mr. Malfoy is not the only Slytherin. You could approach some of the others in your year; Miss Parkinson and Miss Greengrass for example, or perhaps Mr. Zabini and Mr. Nott.” 

Harry nodded reluctantly. “I’ll talk to Percy about it. Thanks for the idea, sir.” 

“They’re not all the same, you know – the Slytherins, I mean. Most people just treat Slytherin students as all of a bunch, as soon as they’re sorted into the house of snakes. Slytherin House has a bad reputation and few can see past that. I suspect you may never have seen any reason to try, before.” 

Harry felt an instant urge to defend himself. “I met Malfoy on the train, the start of my first year; that was before we were all sorted. He was rude and snobbish. He mocked Ron and his family because the Weasley’s don’t have a lot of money. He’s acted the same ever since.” 

“And I say again, Mr. Malfoy is not the only Slytherin. I would also say that if you believed that bad relationships cannot be mended then you would not have started this quest at all!” Professor Flitwick was smiling mischievously at him and Harry grinned, knowing that he was being teased. 

“I really will think about it,” he promised. “I’d better go to breakfast now, sir. Thanks very much.” 

\-----------------------IIII----------------------- 

After leaving Professor Flitwick’s office, Harry wasn’t sure if it was still too early for his friends to have come down for breakfast. When he arrived at the Gryffindor table though, Hermione and Ron were both already there. Harry could see that Ron had lost no time in telling Hermione about the events of the night before. 

“Morning,” he said cheerfully as he sat down beside them. “Good night’s sleep?” 

“Fine,” Ron muttered sullenly. 

“Me too,” Hermione said. “Ron was just telling me that you’ve started a project, Harry. That sounds interesting!” 

“How can you say that when you don’t know what it’s about, even?” Ron asked. “It could be the most boring thing ever, you don’t know. Neither of us do, because Harry’s been keeping it a _secret_.” 

Harry sighed. “I just needed a bit of time to work out what this project is going to be about, that’s all. I want to tell you both about it now, so if we finish breakfast quickly enough, we can go somewhere quiet before Herbology and I’ll explain.” 

There was plenty of time for Harry to have this discussion, he knew, but he wasn’t looking forward to it. Still, maybe after he’d got used to the idea then Ron would get involved and become more positive about it. Just before they left the Great Hall, Hedwig flew in and landed on the table. Harry was pleased to see her. He fed her some snacks and gave her a drink of water before retrieving the letter she carried, which as expected was from Professor McGonagall confirming that she would meet him that day at 4.30pm in her office. Well, that was one thing sorted. 

\-----------------------IIII----------------------- 

Harry sat with his two friends in an empty classroom and after obtaining a promise of secrecy from them both, told them about him being inspired by Mr. Granger’s marathon plans and all about his decision to start his own quest. He also explained about how he was working with Percy on developing it. Hermione was visibly thrilled, and Harry knew she was _only just_ preventing herself from bursting into excited speech. On the other hand, Ron was quiet. Too much so, Harry thought. There was a tenseness in his jaw and the set of his shoulders which told its own tale. 

It was strange, Harry reflected, that he had shared the same story twice in the space of an hour but this second conversation was very different to the first. With Professor Flitwick he’d been able to clearly describe it all, despite never having had a personal discussion with the man before; it had been somehow easy to relax and share how he felt without any discomfort. But now, with his two best friends, he found himself uncomfortably stumbling through the explanations, aware that he wasn’t using the right words to make them see how special this was. At least, not the words that Ron needed to hear. 

“So that’s everything. I apologise for not telling you right away, but as I said it took ages to come up with an idea and initially, I didn’t say anything because I was afraid of starting something that I couldn’t finish. I hope you understand. I want both of you to join me on this.” 

“HARRY!” Hermione exclaimed. “I can’t believe you’re doing such a useful project! It’s brilliant, it really is. How strange that our one small conversation on the train can have such large consequences! And yes, of course I’ll help. I’ll need to think it though, of course…” a focused gaze which Harry was all too familiar with came into her eyes. “Can I read those notes that Percy gave you? If they’re not too personal, that is. And there are some books in the library which could be useful – it’s so tiresome that we have Herbology first lesson, I’d have got onto this right away otherwise!” 

Harry grinned. “Well thanks, but there’s plenty of time. I’ll pass you the notes later, they’re in my trunk. So, erm… are you in as well, Ron?” 

His friend looked at him grimly. “Why did you ask Percy, and not me? _I’m_ your Weasley friend!” 

“You’re not my only one. I’m friends with Ginny too, and Fred and George. I’ve stayed at your house, Ron – I know your family! And like I said, the first time I went and asked Percy’s opinion in the common room because he was there, and then after that he came up to me in the library. It started accidentally, but Percy’s been really good about it, especially as it’s his NEWTs year so he’s kind of busy.” 

Ron stood up, looking furious. “I get it Harry, don’t worry. One Weasley’s just the same as another as far as you’re concerned, isn’t that right? Well you stick with perfect Percy then, and leave me out of it. You’ll soon get fed up with him nagging you and telling you what to do. As if anyone with any sense would spend more time than they have to working on Potions, anyway. You must be mental!” 

He walked out of the room, leaving Harry feeling frustrated and Hermione dismayed. “He’ll come round eventually,” she assured him. “He’ll want to back you up, I know that.” 

“It’s his choice,” Harry said eventually. “I knew he might be a bit annoyed. I’ll give him some time to calm down, and then we’ll see. I know I maybe didn’t explain it very well but Hermione, this is really important to me. I’m glad you’re with me on it, anyway.” 

“Of course, but what can I do to help? Apart from research, of course.” 

“Well, there’s two things. Firstly, will you join Potions club with me? I thought maybe Neville could come too, it might be useful for him. We need to raise the Gryffindor standard of potions making in our class to that Snape has less to criticise, and his marks are even lower than mine usually. And also, would you be willing to be the leader if we set up a third-year study group and arrange everything for it?” 

Hermione frowned. “Well, the thing is Harry, I have taken on quite a few electives this year and I don’t have too much spare time. I could probably do one of those things, but not both. Why don’t you just take Neville to Potions club? You don’t need me for that, really, and I think I could add more value with running the study group. I’d rather enjoy that.” 

“Okay, that’s fine. What about personally inviting the Slytherins to the group, like Professor Flitwick suggested? I’m a bit worried that they might try and sabotage it or something. And do you really think I should try and get on better terms with Malfoy?” 

“Yes, to both of those,” she replied decisively. “Malfoy will never be a friend to you, but it would be useful to make him into a not-enemy. Don’t spend much time on him, though. He’s the small fish and Professor Snape is the shark; and you need to keep your eyes on the prize. As for inviting the Slytherins to the study group, actually it’s a very good idea. This needs to be seen as your initiative though, so I think you should approach them when you’re alone. When you do it’s important that you be confident and assertive, and don’t be talked into anything that you might regret. As Professor Flitwick said, it’s just a negotiation. And the beauty of it is that even if they turn you down, the fact that you suggested it could well get back to Professor Snape. He might be pleased that you’re asking members of his house to join something.” 

Harry wondered for a moment if Snape was ever pleased about anything. “Stranger things have happened, I suppose. Come on, let’s go. It’ll be Herbology soon.” 

They strolled out, Hermione eagerly explaining her ideas for the cross-house study group along the way. 

\-----------------------IIII----------------------- 

Herbology that morning was awkward; Ron pointedly went to work with one of the Hufflepuffs on the other side of the greenhouse, and after the lesson walked quickly back to the castle on his own. 

“I’ll speak to him” Hermione said in a forbidding tone. 

Harry shrugged. “It’s probably my job to do that. I started this.” 

“Yes, but if he’d suggested it then you would have backed him up, wouldn’t you?” 

“I wouldn’t have been keen on it, but yes, I suppose so. If it was really important to him.” He looked round and saw Neville walking on his own thirty feet or so behind them. “You go on, Hermione, I’ll talk to Neville about Potions club.” 

When Harry went back to Neville and started walking beside him, the other boy seemed in such a cheerful mood that Harry rather regretted having to spoil it by using the word ‘potions’ in his presence. 

“Hi, Harry. How are you doing?” 

“Good, thanks Neville. I wanted to ask you something, as it happens. I’m planning on joining Potions Club and I was wondering if you could come along as well?” 

Neville looked horrified. “Potions Club? I don’t think that’s a good idea at all. I’m awful at Potions, you know that Harry.” 

“Well I struggle a bit with it myself, that’s why I want to go. I’m told it’s really good and you learn a lot.” Shamelessly, Harry put on a downtrodden face. “I’ll understand if you can’t make the time of course, but it would make me feel better to have someone I know with me, and Hermione and Ron won’t be there.” 

“Oh, I can make the time, it’s not that—" 

“Great!” Harry said, wilfully misunderstanding. “I’ll put our names down, shall I? It’s Friday nights at 6.30 so we can start next week. Snape won’t be there; it’s run by some of the older students.” 

Neville brightened at that news, which Harry had deliberately held back until he thought that Neville might be ready to concede. “Well, I suppose I could try it then, and see what it’s like.” 

“Thanks so much, Neville. If we don’t like it then we won’t keep going to it, of course. I’m optimistic, though. Who knows, for once in Potions we might even learn something!” 

As they strolled back to the castle, Harry congratulated himself on his successful adaptation of solution 26 from the pureblood wizard attack scenario in _Tempering your Emotional Extremes for Better Spell-casting_. It had been a bit manipulative and Slytherin-y he supposed, but Neville would thank him later. 

\-----------------------IIII----------------------- 

Harry was a little late getting to the Great Hall at lunchtime and his friends were already there. He could see that Hermione and Ron were deep in conversation. Although, as conversations went it seemed rather one-sided. Hermione was clearly in lecture mode, while Ron looked like he wanted to get away but couldn’t as she had his arm pinned to the table. Harry decided not to disturb them and instead took the opportunity to sit next to Percy. After they’d eaten, he told Percy in a low voice about his meeting with Professor Flitwick and about Flitwick’s idea of asking the Slytherins to join their study group. Percy agreed with Hermione that it should be tried and encouraged Harry to speak with them as soon as possible. “In fact,” Percy said with a slight nod towards the Slytherin table, “how about right away?” 

Harry looked across and saw that several Slytherins from his year were just leaving the hall. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were all still eating and seemed unlikely to follow any time soon. It was as good an opportunity as any, Harry supposed, except... “The thing is though, I don’t know all of their names.” 

Percy looked shocked. “Harry, you have classes with them! Well, never mind that now. The boy is Blaise Zabini. The three girls, from left to right, are Tracy Davies, Millicent Bulstrode and Daphne Greengrass.” 

“Okay, right. Got it, thanks. See you later.” 

Harry grabbed his things and walked out of the hall casually, but as soon as he got out of the door he picked up the pace, worried that the Slytherins might make it back to their common room before he could intercept them. Fortunately, he spotted them heading out of the main doors and towards the lake. Unsure of how to address a group of Slytherins without offending them, Harry went with several increasingly voluble calls of “Excuse me?” until he finally got their attention. 

“Hi, there. Sorry to disturb you, but do you all have a minute?” 

Millicent Bulstrode frowned at him, while the other two girls simply glanced at him and looked away. Only Zabini seemed willing to converse. “What is it, Potter?” 

“I’m setting up a cross-house study group for third years. Well, I’ve asked Hermione to make the arrangements for it. She’s good with that sort of thing.” The Slytherins all smirked in a way that was disturbingly identical. “So, I was wondering, once we get the study group up and running, would you guys like to come?” 

“Why should we?” Millicent asked abruptly. “We Slytherins have our own study groups.” 

“And also, why are you asking us personally, if Granger is making the arrangements?” Tracy asked. “Are you sure she’d like you to do that? Asking Slytherins, I mean?” 

Harry was taken aback. He had not expected that they would already be studying together; he’d not seen them do so in the library. Their common room must, he thought, have some kind of study area within it. “Yes, it’s fine. I’ve spoken to Hermione and we agreed that I would invite you. If you’re already set up with study groups then I understand that you might not want to take part, but I was hoping that you might be interested anyway?” 

Blaise seemed amused. “There’s more to this than you’re telling us, Potter.” 

“He wants something,” Daphne said with a nod of agreement. “But what?” 

Millicent sniffed disdainfully. “We won’t like it, whatever it is. Can’t see what the catch is just yet but there must be one.” 

“It won’t take us long to work it out though,” Tracy commented. “He probably thinks we can be easily fooled… as if!” 

“You don’t have to talk about me like I’m not here”, Harry said, but mildly. He was hoping not to offend them, and it would happen easily if he lost his temper. “And there’s no catch, this is a genuine invitation. It’ll be open to all of the third years. Hermione’s going to get permission from Professor McGonagall and ask where we can meet - there should be a classroom free somewhere. We thought, better not the library as Madam Pince gets too agitated when big groups of students start talking in there.” 

“Ambush in a deserted classroom, then?” Blaise said to the others airily. “We stroll in with our books and our parchment, all ready to work hard like good little students, and twenty Gryffindors are waiting there to attack us. As a concept, I suppose it’s not without originality.” 

“It’s nothing like that!” Harry snapped. Slytherins, he thought with irritation, were the absolute worst. Belatedly, he remembered that he was supposed to be striking a deal with them. “We really are setting up a study group – this isn’t a trap or something. Isn’t there anything that you’d like to have some help with? Maybe we could all learn stuff together. We teach you; you teach us. The other third year Slytherins would be invited too, of course.” 

“Nobody will come,” Daphne said confidently. “And whatever pathetic game this is, I’m tired of playing.” She walked away, Tracy following immediately. With a short bark of laughter, Millicent went after them. 

“What about you, then?” Harry asked Blaise. The other boy was looking him over with amusement. 

“Well now, that rather depends,” he drawled with a smirk. “Actually, I think the invitation is genuine, but really Potter – it’s not hard to see that you have a hidden agenda. When it comes to evasion and duplicity, you’re speaking to someone who’s far more expert at those things than you are. You’ve barely spoken a word to me or the other Slytherins in over two years and now all of a sudden, you’re oh so keen for us to study with you. Care to explain why?” 

Harry was tempted to let it go and walk off, but then any benefit from this tedious conversation would be lost. “Just between us?” 

“If you like.” 

“I need to improve my Potions grades. I want to help the other Gryffindors do the same. I also want to get Snape to back off and stop insulting my murdered father every other lesson, because quite frankly that rather disrupts my concentration when I’m trying to brew a potion. Inviting members of his House to a study group and showing how nice I can be to them, well, it might be a way to persuade him that I’m not quite as bad as he thinks.” 

Blaise smiled with satisfaction. “ _Now_ we’re getting somewhere.” 

“Will you join the group, then?” 

“You asked if there was something that we want help with. Speaking personally, there is one thing…” 

“Yes?” 

“Herbology, Potter. I find plants tiresome, all of those tendrils and groping vines, and the dirt ends up under my nails, which is _dreadful_. My marks in that subject are adequate, but hardly stellar. And since we’re being so frank with one another, I may as well admit that I’ve been instructed by my mother to do something about that this term. I’m expected to get at least an E for Herbology from now on, whereas to date I’ve barely managed an A. If you want me to join this group, and as a bonus I’ll attempt to persuade some of the others to come along as well, then in return you need to arrange for myself and six other Slytherins whom I’ll select to have private Herbology tuition with Neville Longbottom twice a week for the rest of the term. Not with all of this study group there as well; this will be a separate arrangement.” 

“With Neville?” Harry exclaimed in surprise. “But why?” 

“Because he’s one of the best students at Herbology,” Blaise said, as if it was obvious, “not only in our year but in the entire school, according to Professor Sprout - and I always like to have the best.” 

Harry felt as if he was out of his depth. Was Neville really one of the best Herbology students in the whole school? “I don’t think he’ll do it. He’d be far too nervous.” 

Blaise smiled. “I think he will, if _you_ ask him. He rather looks up to you. Please do reassure him that we’ll be civil and respectful and we’ll give him no trouble. We’d be there to learn. You or one of your little friends can come along for moral support, of course. Still, I’d suggest giving him a Calming Potion to take for the first lesson or two.” 

Harry decided to see how far he could push this. “You’re asking for a lot. I’d like you and your friends to come to the study group, but I don’t _need_ you to. On the other hand, you seem to need Neville’s help quite a bit.” 

Blaise shrugged nonchalantly. “I’ll find alternative methods if he won’t cooperate. And let’s not forget that it won’t an easy job to get Slytherins to go to a study group run by a muggleborn. I’ve offered you a good deal, Potter.” 

“No, actually you haven’t. It’s a rubbish deal. You’ve asked for something that will be tricky to arrange and will need precious time on my part or that of one of my friends to supervise. You want Herbology training for seven people but you’ve only committed to bringing one person, i.e. yourself, to our study group in return. For other people, you said you’ll _attempt_ to persuade them to come with you, so if they refuse to join then you can claim you’ve still done what you promised to. It’s hardly a fair exchange so don’t try and con me, Zabini.” 

The other boy looked rather impressed. “You’re more competent at this than I would have expected, Potter. In that case I’ll tell you the whole truth. When I report back to the other Slytherins about this, I have to be seen to be making a deal that clearly advantages me. They have to believe that I’ve talked you into something which is, as you say, rather a con. So yes, I won’t try too hard to get my fellow Slytherins to join your little study group, and they might later make fun of you for falling victim to my superior cunning and guile. And of course, I’m planning to trade those six other Herbology places to Slytherins that I want various favours from. However, I’ll secretly make up my side of the bargain by offering you something else as well. Something that you do rather need.” 

“And what’s what?” 

“Advice,” Blaise said. “Guidance on the best way forward. You’ve basically admitted that this whole study group idea is just a means to an end. Admirable use of subterfuge and misdirection, by the way. You want Potions lessons to be better for you, and I can help with that. After all, I know Professor Snape a lot better than you do. I’ll help Longbottom as well. I won’t share any Slytherin secrets and I won’t act against Professor Snape or anyone else from my house, but even with those restrictions, I can be of use.” 

“How? Give me an example.” 

“I’ve heard you claim in the past that certain other students have thrown ingredients into your potions to deliberately damage them. I can show you how to prevent that, using a simple charm together with some basic runes. Once applied to your cauldron, if anyone attempts to throw anything damaging into it while you’re brewing a potion then it will simply be vanished and no harm done.” 

“That might be helpful,” Harry admitted. “I don’t take Ancient Runes, though.” 

“I’ll show Granger how to apply the runes to a cauldron and then she can repeat the process for the other Gryffindors; it’ll only take a few minutes. As for Longbottom, I’ve met his family a number of times. He’s a wizard burdened by demanding and critical relatives who have obviously failed to ever encourage or praise him, and instead criticised him so much that over the years they chipped away at what little self-confidence he originally had until there was nothing left. I can help with that too. I’ll secretly mentor him. He’ll never be a brilliant wizard but he could be a better one than he is now, with the right tuition. I think you’ll find that I can make something of him, given time. I’ve always enjoyed a challenge.” 

“I don’t know if I like the sound of that,” Harry said, not sure if he was referring to Blaise’s mentoring idea or his description of Neville. It sounded almost as if Neville had his own set of magical-equivalent Dursleys. 

Zabini smiled. “Ask Longbottom and see what he thinks. It’s an optional extra, anyway. Why don’t you speak to him, and then you and I can meet up again to discuss the details? Shall we say Sunday at 11am on the sixth floor, just by the statue of Claribus and the Five Centaurs?” 

“Fine,” Harry said shortly. “I’d better go; I have Transfiguration soon.” 

“One more thing before you leave. For this to work, you’ll need to call off your attack dog.” 

“Shut up, Zabini! Ron isn’t an attack dog!” 

“And yet, you knew exactly who I was referring to…” 

Harry glared at him. “Honestly, you’re giving me a headache.” 

“I’m sorry if I’ve caused your mind to exert itself more than usual,” he replied with a smirk. “I’m sure it’ll recover in a few hours. Until the day after tomorrow, then.” 

Harry just nodded and walked away. He was starting to wonder if negotiating with Slytherins was _ever_ worth the effort. 

\-----------------------IIII----------------------- 

As Harry approached the main doors, he saw that Ron was hovering awkwardly there and looking in his direction. “Hi Ron,” he said, trying to speak normally. “Ready for Transfiguration?” 

“Yeah, let’s go.” They walked upstairs in silence. 

“Are you still angry with me?” Harry asked eventually. 

“A bit, yeah. I’m not used to you going to _Percy_ instead of me when you need something.” 

“Like I said, I didn’t mean to leave you out. It just happened.” 

“I’d still rather you told me stuff like this the first chance you got. Hermione says I should back you up with this quest, because this is what you want and it’s an honourable cause. She didn’t stop telling me off all through lunch! I don’t think she stopped to eat a single thing! Still, I don’t like the idea of any plan that involves playing nice with Slytherins or even worse, cosying up to _Snape_ of all people.” 

“And it’s partly because I knew you wouldn’t like it that I put off telling you. Percy was the one who said I should rethink that. He really is helping me out. I’d be glad to have your support too.” 

“Harry, most of the Slytherin’s families were Death Eaters! Malfoy and Nott, their fathers both got off being sent to Azkaban because they lied and said they were forced to join You-know-Who. They really can’t be trusted!” 

“I don’t have to trust them. Anyway, none of the Slytherin students are Death Eaters. I won’t judge them by what their relatives did. We’re just teenagers, you know?” 

“Those teenagers still look down on Hermione and Colin and all the other muggleborns because of their blood status. Doesn’t that bother you? Your Mum was one!” 

“She was, yeah. But Ron, I have a feeling she’d be proud of me for doing this. And maybe if the Slytherins get to know Hermione and the others then they won’t be as interested in looking down on them.” 

“You’re deluded mate, if you think that.” 

“And what’s the worst thing that happens, if I am? We try, it fails, we’re back to where we were before and no worse off. I want to have a go at changing things. I need to see if I can. Will you help?” 

Ron hesitated for a moment, and then shook his head. “Not interested. You can try this if you want to, but count me out. I’ll stay neutral, right? I won’t stop you or try to stop anyone else joining you, but I won’t help either.” 

Harry nodded resignedly. It was probably the best that he could have hoped for. “Understood. So, tell me, how did the Cannons do in last night’s match?” 

Ron’s face lit up, and they talked quidditch for the rest of the journey to the Transfiguration classroom. 

\-----------------------IIII----------------------- 


	5. I hear what you're saying

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All rights to the Harry Potter universe belong to JK Rowling. I don’t own Harry Potter.

_Identify and meet with influential stakeholders, and then seek their approval and cooperation. Develop a mutual shared understanding of key priorities and put in place effective methods of communication._

Potions class later that afternoon was, Harry thought, the first acid test of how much better he could stand up to Snape’s treatment since he’d begun his quest. He worked his hardest during the lesson, but Ron was obviously distracted and their potion would not seem to come together. Snape was his usual unpleasant self, describing it as “having the colour of dirty dishwater and the consistency of mashed-up slugs”. Harry, who had heard far worse in this classroom, decided to take a risk and ask for help as he’d seen the third year Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students do in their lesson. 

“Is there anything I can do to put it right, Professor? I was trying hard and I’m not sure where I went wrong.” 

Snape instantly noticed, as Harry did not, Ron’s silent resentment at Harry for saying ‘I’ instead of ‘We’. “Perhaps next time you should try partnering with someone better.” 

Harry stared at him, confused. “It wasn’t Ron’s fault, sir. We did everything together.” But Snape was already moving away. 

“Thanks a lot,” Ron muttered furiously. 

“Ron, I didn’t mean—" 

“Forget it”. 

The lesson ended with a vanished potion, zero marks, Ron offended and Harry remorseful while Snape, as usual, was clearly delighted at having had his fun at their expense. There was a tight feeling in Harry’s stomach as they left the room, something raw and uncomfortable and desperate. He would fix this, Harry said to himself with utter determination. He _would_. 

“Wasn’t that really helpful advice that Professor Snape gave you, Potter?” Malfoy said gleefully as soon as the door to the Potions classroom closed behind them. “Who knows, if you get rid of Weasley and work with someone else in our next Potions lesson then you might actually manage to brew something that wouldn’t kill a dragon on sight!” Crabbe and Goyle chuckled dutifully while Ron stormed past them up the stairs with Hermione in hot pursuit. 

As he faced Malfoy, Harry was very tempted to attack him – but he pushed the temptation away, knowing it wouldn’t help to act on it. “Thanks for the advice,” he replied in a perfectly level voice. “I’m quite happy working with Ron, though. Have a pleasant afternoon, won’t you?” He walked off, Malfoy staring after him with baffled frustration. 

\-----------------------IIII----------------------- 

Harry went straight to the Gryffindor common room in the hope that Ron and Hermione would be there, but he was out of luck. The dorm was empty as well. He wondered if they might have gone for a walk in the grounds and hoped, nervously, that Hermione would have managed to calm Ron down by the next time they met. If there’d been enough time then he would have gone to look for them both, but it was 4.20pm and he was due in Professor McGonagall’s office shortly. With a sigh, Harry put his things on his bed and left. It was only when he knocked on the door to Professor McGonagall’s office that Harry realised he had no idea what he would actually say to her. 

“Sit down, Mr. Potter,” Professor McGonagall said crisply after he entered the room. “Now, what can I do for you?” 

“Well, erm…” 

“Don’t dawdle, Potter. Out with it!” 

“Yes, right, sorry. I, err, I have a problem with one of my lessons. The other Gryffindors do as well, I think. It’s Potions.” She grimaced slightly but said nothing. “Professor Snape is not a good teacher to us. I don’t mean to be disrespectful to a member of staff, but he doesn’t explain things properly and he takes points off the Gryffindor students every chance he gets. And I’ve never seen him give a Gryffindor student a single point, ever.” 

“Are you speaking on behalf of the other Gryffindors in your year?” 

Harry frowned. He hadn’t talked to most of the other third-years about this and he didn’t want to lie about it in case she checked with them. “Not all of them, but I know that some of them do share my opinion. You know what happened with Neville and his boggart, I expect; he’s terrified of Professor Snape! And with me personally, well, Professor Snape really dislikes me and always has. I don’t know the whole history, but he insults my father a lot and he’s really unpleasant and sarcastic towards me in lessons. I was hoping you could tell me more about that, Professor. I’d like to understand why Professor Snape hates my father like he does.” 

She hesitated. “I could answer that, but you may find what I’d have to say upsetting.” 

“I want to hear it, Professor. Please tell me.” 

“Very well, but this must remain strictly between you and I. Is that understood?” 

“Yes, Professor.” 

“Well then… as you are probably already aware Mr. Potter, both of your parents and Professor Snape were in the same year at school. Your father and several of his friends were repeatedly involved in confrontations with Professor Snape during their time here. Now of course, in a situation where students strongly dislike each other then there will usually be faults on both sides. That was the case here as well. However, although it may surprise you to hear this, I assure you that it was almost never Professor Snape who initiated those confrontations.” 

“You mean that they went out of their way to pick on him,” Harry said slowly. 

“Yes, I’m afraid so. To them, he represented a legitimate target. Now please be aware that your father was a fine young man in many ways, and he grew up to become a brave and talented wizard. He was highly skilled at Transfiguration and, like yourself, an excellent quidditch player. However, during the majority of his school years he had no hesitation in attacking Professor Snape. He sometimes did the same to other Slytherins as well. James Potter hated the Dark Arts, you see, and I think that hatred helped him to justify his actions to himself. He saw Slytherins and Death Eaters as being basically identical.” 

It was hard, it hurt to think it, but Harry made himself say the hated words out loud. “He was a bully.” 

Her face softened. “He grew out of it eventually, but the damage to Professor Snape was already done.” 

Harry noted that word ‘damage’, the same one that Percy had used. “Didn’t you punish my father and the others when they hurt any of the Slytherins? I think you were head of Gryffindor then as well, weren’t you?” 

“I was, and yes I punished them whenever any incidents were brought to my attention. I did what I could to intervene, but detentions and points losses can only do so much to influence any student to change their ways.” 

“But I don’t understand, Professor. When I first met Hagrid, he told me that my parents were Head Boy and Head Girl. Why would my father be made Head Boy if he bullied other students?” 

Her reply seemed carefully worded. “During sixth year, your father began to display a more mature outlook. When the Head Boy candidates for the following year were considered at the end of summer term, the Headmaster decided that he had grown up sufficiently to be the best choice for that position.” 

Harry nodded. There was no need to ask whether Professor McGonagall had agreed with his decision. “I’m sorry for what happened to Professor Snape. I know what it feels like to be victimised by a group of other kids. My cousin and his friends used to pick on me all the time. They still do sometimes, in the summer holidays.” 

“I’m sad to hear that. I believe that you and Professor Snape have more in common than either of you realise. But Mr. Potter, please don’t place too much emphasis on the negative things that your father did. He learned himself in time that it was wrong to attack other students. He was a loyal friend. He grew up, and became a fine husband and father who fought for what was right and helped others as much as he could. I met the three of you together once, you know, when you were just a new-born baby. He couldn’t stop playing with you and telling me how well you were doing. There were photographs of you everywhere. He was so proud of you, Mr. Potter.” 

Harry decided that he didn’t want to talk about his father any longer. “Is there anything you can do about Professor Snape’s behaviour towards us Gryffindors?” 

“I can speak to him, yes. In fact, I will see him today and do my best to persuade him to make some long-overdue alterations to his teaching style. I’ll tell him that a student has filed a complaint about him, although I won’t mention who the complaint was made by, so don’t worry about that. You and I should then independently monitor the results of that conversation over, say, the next month. I will discuss this with you at the end of that time, and if there is no change in the situation then I will refer the matter directly to the Headmaster. Should that happen, doubtless the Headmaster will wish to discuss it with you in person.” 

After listening to Percy’s tale of what had happened when Snape was discussed during the Prefects’ meeting, Harry wasn’t sure what to expect from that conversation - but after all, only the Headmaster had the power to force Snape to change. “Yeah, okay. Thank you, Professor. I’ll be going now, if that’s alright.” 

“Of course. Do please feel free to come and see me any time if you would like to talk again. You do not need to submit a written request for an appointment.” 

Harry thanked her again and left. The corridor beyond was empty, which he was relieved about. He was not yet ready to face other people. Harry walked until he found a half-empty store room and went in, closing the door behind him. He leaned with his back to the wall; the cooling touch of stone against his head was welcoming. It wasn’t, of course, as if he should have been surprised at what he’d heard about his father; he had been given two very clear warnings about the danger of asking those types of questions. And it wasn’t all bad; Professor McGonagall had been quite complimentary about James Potter in many ways. _Such a nice boy, so clever, so talented, yes he bullied Slytherins but oh, such brilliance at quidditch and so very good at Transfiguration!_

It was a pity, Harry thought, that you couldn’t freeze time at moments like this. You should be able to. Yes, just pop life on hold for a bit while you went away and took the time to process unpleasant facts and come to terms with them at your own pace. He closed his eyes and sighed. He’d have to leave soon, though. Dinner would be in half an hour or so and then he’d have to sort out the still unresolved spat with Ron. After dinner there was a team quidditch meeting in the common room which Oliver Wood had insisted he attend, so that they could “develop an unbeatable winning strategy for this year’s matches, Harry!” He had homework to do and deals to make with Neville, he couldn’t go to Hogsmeade because his stupid relatives hadn’t signed his permission slip and of course, Sirius Black still wanted to murder him. Even without Snape to worry about, Harry decided that he had enough on his plate to feel thoroughly sorry for himself. 

_I love you, Dad. You had your faults and you shouldn’t have hurt other people, but I still love you._

__

This quest, though – this little side activity that he’d started on a whim – if it worked, then Harry and his friends might actually be able to fix the mistakes that his father and his father’s friends had made twenty years ago. The thought of coming full circle like that was somehow rather satisfying. 

“I usually find that it’s easier to get to sleep if you lie on a bed,” an amused voice said. Harry jumped and opened his eyes to see Fred and George in the doorway, both grinning at him. 

“Thanks for giving me a shock like that! What do you two want, anyway?” 

The twins put on mock-offended looks. “He’s not pleased to see us, Fred. I’m not getting all those warm, welcome feelings.” 

“It’s hurtful, Fred, that’s what it is. I might have to go away and cry.” 

“You can’t both be Fred,” Harry said, starting to smile a bit. “And how did you know I was here?” 

“We saw you come in, of course. How else would we know where you were? When you didn’t come out, our natural curiosity led us to explore further.” 

Fred grinned. “You see, we did wonder if this might be connected to the fact that Ronniekins has been moping about like a jealous ex-boyfriend for days - which is fairly normal - and you’ve been all thick with dear old Percy at the same time, which is not normal at all.” 

George looked at him knowingly. “We can tell you’re up to something, Harry. You can’t fool us. We tried to get it out of Percy but he went all headboyish and threatened us with a month’s detention if we didn’t lay off.” 

“So we’ve come to you instead. What is this sneaky scheme that you’re working on? Hope it’s something good. And by that I mean, something bad.” 

Harry, having suspected that the twins would get suspicious of him eventually, had an answer ready for them. “Look, I can’t really tell you the details but I’m working on a school study project. I’d rather you didn’t ask any more questions, but if this works, it could help Ron with his lessons too.” 

“I have to say Harry, as motivational speeches go, that one needs some work.” 

“Yeah, you’re not exactly selling it to us.” 

Harry grinned. “What I’m doing might help Ginny as well.” 

“Awww, now he’s playing the little sis card… that’s our Harry, such a schemer!” 

“He learned it all from us, George.” 

“True, George, very true.” 

“So what about us then, Harry? Will it help us as well?” 

Harry considered this. His first thought was that any points losses, detentions or insults the twins received from Professor Snape were probably entirely deserved. With a cheeky smirk, he repeated a saying which Uncle Vernon sometimes used after a completing a successful deal at Grunnings. “You know, during all important sales negotiations I find that over-promising only leads to under-delivering.” 

The twins chuckled. “I suppose we’re beyond help then, George or Fred.” 

“Sadly so, Fred or George. We’ll just have to struggle along on our own then.” 

Harry grinned at them, his mood much lightened. “Please, as a favour to me – just let it drop.” 

“For now, Harry,” the twins said together, with identical smirks. “For now.” 

\-----------------------IIII----------------------- 

Minerva McGonagall let out a long sigh as Harry Potter left her office. She had assumed that he’d asked to see her in order to talk about Sirius Black. It was a relief that the conversation hadn’t needed to go in that particular direction. She’d carefully not mentioned the names of James Potter’s friends and fortunately, Harry had not thought to ask who they were. It would all have to be explained to him in time of course, but perhaps not quite yet. She knew that he was not aware of Remus Lupin’s history and his connection to the Potter family, although personally she didn’t approve of Lupin remaining an outsider to Harry when he could have offered some much-needed support and affection to a boy with few caring adults in his life. But then, she could have done the same herself. 

Too late by far for that, Minerva thought to herself regretfully. She had always felt guilty about leaving Harry Potter with the Dursley family to raise. Albus had insisted it was necessary for his safety, but to her it felt like a terribly cruel act to leave him with those vile muggles. She’d wanted to visit him from time to time but Albus had told her that it wasn’t advisable. And so, when James and Lilly Potter’s boy arrived at Hogwarts, he was basically a stranger to her. If only she’d followed her own instincts and gone to see how he was doing, even just the once! 

There had been a long conversation between herself and Molly and Arthur Weasley about Harry Potter, almost a year ago now. Molly had asked her to tea one Saturday afternoon in early September after the children had returned to school. The Weasley parents had spoken to her about Harry’s arrival at the Burrow over the summer holidays, about him needing to be rescued from the Dursleys’ house, about the bars on the windows of his bedroom and the locks on his door. They mentioned the food parcels that had to be sent to Harry while he was there so that he had enough to eat. They spoke of Harry’s happiness when he was with them at the Burrow and his reluctance to return back to the Dursleys the following summer. Finally, they had asked her to intervene with the Headmaster and try to persuade him to let Harry make his home at the Burrow permanently. 

“That boy needs taking care of,” Molly had said, her eyes filling with tears. “He’s so alone. The way those dreadful muggles treat him, I can’t bear to think of it!” 

“He should have a proper home,” Arthur had agreed gravely. “We’d look after him and treat him just like one of our own. He could share a room with Ron and we can manage to pay for his things. Will you help us, Professor?” 

Minerva had immediately agreed to help, and did so. She had used every argument that she could think of. Albus, however, was sympathetic but quite unwilling to change Harry’s living arrangements. He had to stay with the Dursleys for his own safety, and that was that. Minerva had fought him on it, and fought fiercely; there had been clashes, threats, negotiations and rows. It had done no good – despite everything she tried, the battle was lost. Molly and Arthur had been upset at the Headmaster’s decision, although they’d thanked her profusely for trying to help them. Minerva didn’t feel that she deserved to be thanked, however. The only consolation to her was that Harry Potter didn’t know how close he’d come to getting a real family of his own at last. She wasn’t sure that he would easily forgive the Headmaster if he ever found out about it. 

As she thought about the events of a year ago, Minerva McGonagall’s expression darkened. She had not been able to get that boy the loving home which he richly deserved, and it weighed heavily on her conscience at times. Now he had asked for help with something else and this time, she was determined not to fail him. It was time, she thought grimly, for a talk with Severus Snape. 

“I have a complaint to make,” she snapped, as she stalked into Snape’s office, “and for once I expect you to take what I say seriously.” 

“Good afternoon to you too,” he said dryly. “May I suggest you sit down, and also calm down?” 

“I’ve no intention of doing either,” she said, glaring at him. “Severus Snape, your teaching methods are nothing short of barbarous. Anyone who isn’t a Slytherin seems to be fair game for you to take all of your anger and frustrations out on. And _my_ students suffer from this to the greatest degree. Well, it has to stop!” 

He stood up to face her, frowning. “I don’t criticise your teaching methods, Professor, even though I do receive complaints about you from my Slytherins as well. I suggest therefore that you refrain from criticising mine.” 

“Don’t be ridiculous! I always strive to be fair towards students of all houses. In my fifth year Slytherin Transfiguration class this morning, for example, I gave points to six of your students for their work. The same was true when I taught your second years and seventh years yesterday afternoon. You’ve rarely ever given any Gryffindor a single point!” 

“I have never seen reason to. Your house is hardly famed for its intellectual brilliance.” 

“My students work hard in your lessons, not that you would notice! I’m telling you now, Professor Snape, if you don’t start treating all students with respect and providing them with proper guidance and support then I’ll take this matter to the Headmaster.” 

“You terrify me” he replied sarcastically. “Do that very thing, if you so wish.” 

“You ought to be terrified! Albus gave you a warning about your teaching style last year, didn’t he?” 

“He gives me some kind of warning _every_ year.” 

“And yet you continue to disregard them,” she snapped at him. “You never learn. And nor will your students, while you continue to treat them so shamefully!” 

Snape looked as if he was struggling to control his temper. “I assume there is a particular reason for all of these unprovoked insults. I saw you a few hours ago and things were as usual between us. What has changed?” 

“Another complaint about you from one of my students,” she said fiercely. “And it’s far from the first, either. But if I have anything to do with it, it will certainly be the last.” 

“I am not scared of you Professor, or of your threats,” he said curtly. “Now if you don’t mind leaving? I have work to do.” 

“I’ll leave with pleasure, but know this before I do. I’m giving you one month to change your ways and start to teach properly, Severus Snape. One month from today. After that, if you haven’t started of your own accord to treat students fairly and act towards them as a competent Professor should, then I’ll take whatever actions I have to in order to force you to change. And everything that happens to you after that will be entirely your own fault.” She stalked out of the room, slamming the door with enormous force behind her. 

“Well,” Snape said to himself after a few moments, “that was unexpected.” 

\-----------------------IIII----------------------- 

Dinner that evening went better than Harry had anticipated. He apologised to Ron for giving Snape a misleading impression during Potions class and Ron, who seemed to have calmed down since then, accepted the apology easily enough. “One look at Snape’s ugly mug is enough to make anyone say the wrong thing,” he said to Harry with a half-smile. Both Harry and Hermione were excited when the Headmaster stood up towards the end of the meal and announced the introduction of a new study group for third-years in _all four_ houses, with its first meeting next Monday at 6.30pm. 

“I would like to award twenty points each to Mr. Potter and Miss Granger for such an excellent idea, and I hope that all third-year students who would like to join a study group will consider attending. I’m told that coffee and cakes will be on hand to provide, ahem, food for thought.” The Headmaster smiled and sat down. 

“I didn’t know that Headmaster Dumbledore was going to announce the group personally!” Hermione said with an excited smile. “I made all of the arrangements with Professor McGonagall, so she must have asked him to. It does seem to have caught people’s attention, doesn’t it?” 

Harry glanced around the hall and agreed. The third-year Hufflepuffs were deep in conversation and the Ravenclaws seemed to be debating between themselves. Their fellow Gryffindors had started to ask questions and were showing a reasonable level of interest. At the Slytherin table though, the reaction was varied. Malfoy obviously thought the whole idea was hilarious; his derisive comments could be clearly heard across the hall. The others were harder to read however, even Zabini who had already agreed to join the study group. Harry could see the Slytherin third-years exchanging glances between themselves but their meanings were impossible for him to decipher. 

During the next few hours Harry sat through an arduous quidditch meeting with Oliver Wood and the team, then he completed his homework as best as he could. After finally getting to bed, he tried meditation properly for the first time. It was difficult, but he felt that clearing his mind might become a little easier over time. The trouble was, these days he had so much going on that there seemed to be an awful lot of mind to clear. 

\-----------------------IIII----------------------- 

It was sunny the following afternoon after lunch, so Harry took Neville into a quiet corner of the grounds and recounted the conversation he’d had with Zabini the previous day. It took some time before Neville could come to terms with the whole concept. He was astonished at the idea that another student might look to him for help about something, especially a Slytherin – and being told that he was seen as one of the best Herbology students in the school astounded him. Harry also put forward the offer of mentoring, although he didn’t repeat Zabini’s scathing description of the Longbottom family. Instead he simply explained that Zabini thought he could help Neville to build up his self-confidence and become a better wizard. 

“He really believes he could help me with those things?” Neville said eagerly. 

“He said so yeah, but it’d be optional. And Neville, we could help you too – the Gryffindors, I mean. You shouldn’t have to go to a Slytherin to get help.” 

“But he’s the one who offered,” Neville said. “I like the fact that it’s his idea. I could try it for a bit and just stop if it didn’t seem to be helping. And I’d be happy to provide Herbology tuition in return. I’ll need Professor Sprout’s permission but I know she’ll approve.” 

“That’s really good, thanks Neville,” Harry said warmly. “I know I’m asking a lot.” 

“No, I really don’t mind. You might think this is silly but I sometimes think that maybe, when I’m grown up… never mind. As long as they’re polite and do as I tell them then I’m okay with it. Can you ask Zabini for a list of topics that they’d most like to learn about? Then I can make sure I show them the right things.” 

“That’s a great idea, I’ll make sure to mention that. And one of us will be with you, at least for the first couple of times. Zabini said you might find it useful to take a Calming Potion for the first time.” 

Neville grinned self-consciously. “I expect that could be useful. But I don’t understand why you want him to get the Slytherins to come to your study group in the first place.” 

“It’s part of a project I’m working on,” Harry said evasively. He didn’t want to go into too much detail in case the mention of Professor Snape scared the other boy off. “It will help a lot, honestly. You can’t tell anyone else about it, don’t forget. I’ll find out from Blaise which days they’d like to do the sessions. I suppose it’ll be either evenings or weekends.” 

“Not Friday though, that’s when we’re going to Potions club. Any other time should be fine.” Neville grinned. “You’ll have to start calling me Professor now, you know!” 

Harry laughed. “As long as you don’t give me a detention, Professor. My week’s busy enough as it is!” 

\-----------------------IIII----------------------- 

Harry met with Zabini the following morning. “Neville’s agreed. He wants the mentoring sessions as well.” 

“Excellent,” Zabini said. His expression reminded Harry of how Hermione’s cat Crookshanks looked, on the rare occasions when he had the chance to get within striking distance of Ron’s rat Scabbers. 

“You all have to treat Neville nicely,” he said warningly. “I’ll stop the whole thing if you don’t.” 

“I assure you that our conduct will be beyond reproach. It’s in both our interests to ensure that. I give you my word, as a Slytherin and a member of the Noble House of Zabini.” 

Harry had no idea whether Blaise’s word was worth anything at all but he didn’t want to risk offending him by saying that, so he merely nodded an agreement. “Neville said any night but Friday will be fine, and also weekends if you like. As long as you’re all polite and do as he says, then he’ll provide tuition in return. He’d like a list of things that you and the other Slytherins are most interested in learning about so that he can make sure to include them.” 

“Sensible suggestion. I’ll speak to the others and report back to you.” 

“What does Malfoy make of all this?” Harry asked curiously. 

“He’s not concerned very much about it at the moment and I intend to ensure that doesn’t change. However, we have more important matters to discuss. Tell me about your other plans for gaining Professor Snape’s favour.” 

“What makes you think I have other plans?” 

“One study group alone won’t change his mind about you,” Blaise said with a knowing smile. “You’re probably smart enough to have figured that out for yourself. If I’m to help you then you have to confide in me. I promise, and again I give you my word, that anything you tell me will be kept between us unless I have your permission otherwise.” Seeing Harry’s hesitation, he added, “I suspect that neither of us is used to trusting strangers, but without a little mutual sharing of information you can’t hope to make this happen.” 

“I’ve got a few options that I’m exploring; just ideas mostly, no firm plans yet. I’ve kept it a secret for the most part. A couple of the Gryffindors are working with me on it quietly. Neville doesn’t know any of the details. I thought he’d be scared if I said it was to do with Snape.” 

“I’ll be working on that fear of his,” Blaise said casually. “Next term his boggart will be something else entirely. Go on.” 

“I’ve asked Neville to join Potions club with me, so that both of us can hopefully get a bit better at making potions.” 

“Good move. Professor Snape is the club sponsor and he takes a keen interest in who attends. You should take Weasley with you as well - he needs all the help he can get.” 

“Ron isn’t interested,” Harry said, ignoring the insult to his friend. “He’s neutral on all of this.” 

“That’s a shame. You do know it was his fault that your potion failed the other day? I was watching. The bicorn horn was meant to be gradually poured into the cauldron while stirring slowly anti-clockwise, but he threw the whole lot in at once and didn’t stir it at all afterwards.” 

“So what’s your point?” he said impatiently. 

“That when you’re brewing a potion, you’re only as good as your partner. From now on, whoever you work with, you need to make sure that you’re watching everything they do, so that you can intervene if you need to. You should be the leader, even if they don’t know it.” 

“Okay,” he said reluctantly. “I guess I can see the sense in that.” He suspected Ron wouldn’t like him taking charge, if he figured it out. Hopefully that wouldn’t happen though. 

“Fine. Now, there’s something that you need to understand. Professor Snape has the lowest possible opinion of you. For that to change, he needs to start seeing changes in _you_.” 

“What kind of changes?” 

“Less rule-breaking would be the priority. Also, a lot less of your reckless Gryffindor heroics. A better attitude to lessons as well - working harder, aiming higher. You’ve made a good start with Potions club and the study group, but don’t forget your other lessons, will you? You need to do better in all of them. The Professors all gossip about us just as we gossip about them, and he’ll soon find out if you’re only working hard in Potions and putting in the bare minimum of effort for the other subjects.” 

“I don’t put in the bare minimum of effort!” Harry said indignantly. “And how would you know anyway? You’re only in a few of the same lessons as me.” 

“I’ve asked around,” Blaise said with a smirk. “Now that you are officially a person of interest to me, I needed to learn more about you. Tell me, just how hard _do_ you work in Divination exactly?” 

“Hard enough,” he said defensively. “Trelawney’s happy anyway; she keeps predicting my early and painful death every five minutes.” 

“Mine too,” Blaise said happily, “though Mother says it’ll take more than one batty professor to finish off a Zabini. Back to Professor Snape, then. When was the first time that you realised how much he disliked you?” 

“The first night I was at Hogwarts. He was glaring at me all through the start of term feast. I didn’t know who he was but I could see he hated me.” 

“Oh really? That is interesting. There’s a history then, between you and him?” 

“Not between us. He was at school the same year as my father and they were enemies the whole time.” 

“I see. Have you ever attempted to talk to Professor Snape about that? Did you try and make him see that you and your father are not in fact the same person?” 

“Talk to Snape? You’ve got to be kidding! There are a thousand ways that would go wrong.” 

Blaise ignored this. “For Slytherins, if someone in a position of influence shows unjustified dislike or aggression towards us, we make it our business to find out why at the earliest opportunity. Then we use our best diplomacy and influencing skills to repair matters. You haven’t tried to do that, which makes it look like you think Professor Snape isn’t worth winning over. It’s a way of showing contempt for him, and thus highly insulting.” 

Harry glared at him. “What are you saying, that it’s all my fault?” 

“No, only that you need to show him that his good opinion is important to you. Think about it. We’ll talk again soon. In the meantime, I’d like your permission to speak to Professor Snape and plant the seed about you becoming more committed to your studies. There’ll need to be a plausible reason why you’re trying to improve in your work, of course. Perhaps you’re thinking of going into a career that needs O grade at Potions for OWLs and NEWTs – a healer, for example. That’s a commendable profession.” 

“Zabini, I don’t want to be a healer. I spend enough time in the Hospital wing as it is.” 

“My telling Professor Snape that you do doesn’t constitute a binding magical contract,” he said with amusement. “You’ll just change your mind later on, as students do all the time about their planned careers.” 

“Fine, fine! I’ll pretend to be a would-be healer, if he asks.” 

The other boy smiled. “Good. Now, I have something to show you.” He took a couple of pieces of blank parchment from his bag, both decorated with a light blue border. “These are what we call memos in Slytherin. We all use them to message each other. These two memos are a pair, they’re linked to each other and I’ve charmed them so that only you or I can read what’s written on them. You can take one and I’ll have the other. We can stay in touch inconspicuously that way, and if you want any information then you can easily ask. Tell Longbottom about it if you like; and he can pass messages on via you if he needs to.” 

“How do they work?” Harry asked curiously. 

“You just write something, then tap the memo with your quill when you’re ready for the message to send. The other person’s memo will then vibrate slightly and also glow and warm up, so that you know when a new message has arrived.” He picked up one of the parchments and wrote ‘This is a demonstration’ on it. After tapping it, the message faded and appeared on the other parchment, which glowed and vibrated slightly. “If you write something and want to change it before sending, just put a line through the text and it’ll disappear.” 

“Cool!” Harry said. “Wait, this isn’t Dark Magic, is it?” 

“You know, I would have to be _spectacularly_ stupid to give you a Dark Magic artifact,” Blaise said in a bored tone. “Of course it isn’t. Some of the older Slytherins created them a couple of years ago during an advanced Charms project which was supervised by Professor Flitwick. Ask him, if you don’t believe me.” 

“Oh well, then this should be really useful. Thanks, Zabini.” 

“I truly do think,” he said, giving Harry that sneaky smile again, “that this could be the start of a long and mutually advantageous relationship.” 

“Honestly, I really hope not.” Zabini’s irreverent laughter followed him all of the way out of the room. 

\-----------------------IIII----------------------- 


	6. Run it up the flagpole

_Involve other members of the team in the planning process. They’ll have important insights into how tasks get done, how long they'll take and who is the best person to tackle them. Start putting key building blocks in place for a successful venture._

__

As Monday evening came closer, Hermione became more and more nervous about the first meeting of their study club. Harry spent much of the preceding Sunday afternoon trying to calm her down. 

“What if it all goes wrong?” she said nervously as they walked along to inspect the room which Professor McGonagall had assigned to them. “Nobody might come tomorrow, or we might have too many people, or they’ll try it once and not like it and never come back. And I still haven’t worked out how this group should work. Do we need some kind of organisational structure? Are we in charge? Should there be rules? You and Ron are always saying that I’m far too fond of making those!” 

Harry made an effort not to smile. “Well, we might need a couple of rules, but not too many. Let’s talk about that in the room.” 

Their study group room was rectangular with high windows. It had a big table and chairs taking up most of the centre of the room, with a couple of side tables and empty bookcases against the walls. It was an unremarkable space but it seemed suitable for their needs. Harry had exchanged several messages with Zabini earlier in the day to confirm that he’d be in attendance. It wasn’t clear how many other people would join the group, since they now knew that Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin all had some kind of studying network already in place for their own students. 

Hermione counted the chairs. “Twenty-two. Do you think that will be enough, Harry? If more people come then we won’t have anywhere for them to sit, and I don’t know how to transfigure chairs!” 

“Well, I think that should be enough, but we’ll go and borrow a few more from the room next door before we start tomorrow and put them by the far wall in case they’re needed.” 

Hermione sighed with relief. “Well then, is there anything else we should bring?” 

“Umm… I think we should have a stock of parchment and quills for people to use if they want them. Perhaps a blackboard as well? I’ve seen a couple of those portable ones with wheels on in a few of the classrooms.” 

She nodded. “Those are easy to procure. I’ll also borrow copies of all of the third-year standard textbooks for reference from the library.” 

“Good idea! And do you think it might be nice to have a banner or something to go on the wall? It could say ‘Welcome to the third-year study group’ – or would that be a bit too primary school?” 

“No, not at all!” Hermione said with a wide smile. “Lavender and Parvati like to make posters for our dorm. I bet they could create a banner if I asked them to.” 

“Great. It all seems to be coming together, then. So that just leaves rules and organisation. I think that as it’s a cross-house group, there should be a rule about not being rude or insulting to other members of the group. And also, another rule that nobody should deliberately disrupt the sessions. As for organisation, you and I are in charge but we should only tell people what to do if they break either of the rules. That should cover everything.” 

Hermione looked incredulously at him. “Really? Harry, that adds up to practically no organisation or monitoring whatever! We could end up with total chaos! People might spend half the time literally not studying at all!” 

He smiled. “To be honest, if that happens then I’ll be really pleased.” 

“But this is a STUDY GROUP!” 

“Yeah, but don’t forget that we’re doing this to help students from different houses to get to know each other, and show the Slytherins that working together can be done if we want to. It has a wider purpose. Anyway, I think people will be more willing to keep coming back to the group if they can have a laugh and a joke while they work.” 

“It’s not how I like to study,” Hermione said darkly. 

Harry laughed. “You don’t need to tell me that! But look, it’s probably better if you don’t expect to do much personal studying at the group meetings, okay? Then you won’t get frustrated if people start messing around a bit. It’s important not to try and control things too much, you know? Just keep everything easy and relaxed. We’re like the hosts at a party, Hermione; it’s our job to make the guests happy.” 

“I’d rather make myself happy,” she muttered, but Harry could see that he’d convinced her. Now, all they had to was wait until tomorrow and hope for the best. 

\-----------------------IIII----------------------- 

Harry and Hermione arrived for the study group at 6.15pm the next day. The coffee and cakes were already in place and looked very appetising. Hermione put up the welcome banner, which Harry looked at critically. He thought it was quite well designed but too feminine for his taste; the text was pink and lilac, and there were several entirely superfluous drawings of rabbits in the corners. Still, with the banner up and the borrowed books and other equipment in place, the room felt quite welcoming. 

“I should have come along to Potions club instead,” Hermione murmured. “The responsibility of making sure that this group runs properly really is quite stressful.” 

“I think,” said Harry, with a self-confidence that he didn’t truly feel, “that it’s going to be alright.” 

“Well, but—” 

“Trust me, Hermione.” 

She smiled at him. “If I must.” 

Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott were the first arrivals, closely followed by Dean, Neville and Seamus. Sophie Roper and Michael Corner arrived together, already deep in conversation about planetary systems. Everyone settled down quickly and seemed pleased to be there. Dean asked a question about their Charms homework and the group discussed unusual applications of the Mending Charm for a few minutes, although after that they diverted onto less formal topics. Harry smiled as he watched Hermione suppress her obvious wish to intervene and pull the discussion back to studying. Zabini arrived a few minutes later and was accompanied - much to Harry’s surprise - by Crabbe and Goyle. Why were they here, Harry wondered, given how publicly their leader Malfoy had criticised the group? 

“Welcome to our study group,” he said to them cheerfully. “I’m glad you could all make it.” 

Crabbe shrugged. “Dumbledore said there’d be cakes.” 

“Oh, erm, right. They’re over there, help yourself.” Crabbe and Goyle complied eagerly while Zabini took a seat, flashing Harry a quick smile. 

The others seemed to tense up somewhat now that the Slytherins were in the room, but Zabini appeared not to care and Crabbe and Goyle were too busy eating pastries to notice. Hermione repeated the two rules of the group for their benefit a little nervously and asked them if they needed any help with their homework. 

“I could certainly use some advice on Transfiguration,” Blaise said pleasantly. “I believe you’re very good at that. Could you possibly show me how to turn this book into a hedgehog? Professor McGonagall told me to practise it but my hedgehog is quite substandard, I’m afraid. Most of the time it looks more like a worn-out scrubbing brush than anything alive.” 

“Oh, of course! Why don’t you show me the wand movements you’re using and I’ll see where you’re going wrong?” 

It _was_ going to be alright, Harry reflected. With a smile he pulled out his Herbology essay and got to work. 

As the evening went on, Harry was rather grateful for Blaise’s helpful conversation input; he could always find something interesting to say. Everyone looked as if they were having a good time, and even Crabbe and Goyle seemed to find it useful to discuss their Potions homework with Michael and Dean. However, Harry thought the most interesting discussion of the night was generated from a casual comment made by Sophie Roper. 

“This week’s History essay is the most boring ever, and that’s saying something!” she exclaimed. “Honestly, I wish we had a better History teacher.” 

“Don’t we all,” agreed Seamus. “I keep thinking we really should have got to the end of all those goblin rebellions by now, but no, there’s always another one!” 

Michael grinned. “Binns usually calls me Mr. Circle instead of Mr. Corner in lessons, except once when he called me Mr. Cabbage.” The others laughed. 

Hermione looked a little conflicted. “Well, I expect that Professor Binns knows a lot, but it is a bit difficult to take all of those goblin facts in sometimes.” 

“What I don’t understand is why the Headmaster doesn’t employ a proper History teacher,” Dean said. 

“Saves money, using a ghost,” Crabbe grunted. “One less salary to pay.” 

Goyle nodded. “Yeah, that’s what Draco says.” 

“But surely the Headmaster knows that Professor Binns can’t teach very well?” Neville asked. 

“Oh yes, he knows,” Blaise said confidently. “He’s well aware of the problem, but he won’t replace Binns any time soon. And it’s not for financial reasons, either.” 

“Why, then?” Harry said. 

“Because if a new History of Magic teacher was appointed then they would want to draw up a new syllabus. And that, my fellow students, would trigger a whole range of political problems. You see, history can be interpreted in all sorts of ways. Any new syllabus would need to be neutral and balanced, and somehow acceptable to everyone from the most conservative pure blood to the most liberal muggleborn. If History of Magic was taught properly, we’d be looking at key events of the past and talking about the impact that they have on us _right now_. We’d have lessons that would challenge our basic understanding of the society we live in and everything we think we know about what’s gone before. But building that kind of radical new syllabus and getting it signed off by the Board of Governors would be a _massive_ battle – and the Headmaster has quite clearly decided that it’s not a battle he wants to fight. He may, perhaps, have other priorities. So he keeps Binns, who is boring and useless, but also bland and uncontroversial.” 

There was silence for a moment after Blaise had finished speaking while each of them thought about what he’d said and considered whether it could be correct. Harry felt a sudden sense of dismay that he entirely couldn’t account for. It was only a couple of days later when he realised that without even being aware of the fact, sub-consciously he’d already been thinking about fixing History of Magic classes once he’d dealt with Potions. 

“I wish we could all be in a History of Magic class that was taught like that,” Hermione said eventually. 

“So do I,” Blaise agreed cheerfully. “We’d _never_ stop disagreeing about things.” 

The first study group meeting lasted for a couple of hours, and Harry felt that it had been a great achievement. Twelve students attending, and with representatives from all four houses as well, was surely an excellent start. He and Hermione chattered happily about it all the way back to their common room. 

\-----------------------IIII----------------------- 

Settled down in his bed later that evening, Harry pulled out his memo to send Blaise a quick message. Though they hadn’t been using the memos for very long, Harry had been finding it rather enjoyable to converse with someone so very different from himself. Blaise had a way of making him look at things from new and unexpected angles, just as he’d done tonight with his comments about History of Magic class. 

**__**

**_Thanks for your help with tonight’s study group meeting, Zabini. I think it went well._ **

__

_I agree. Nice bunny rabbits, by the way._

**__**

**_Those were not my idea._**

__

_Oh, such a quick disclaimer! There’s no shame in being fond of cute and cuddly little animals, Potter._

**__**

**_I suppose making fun of me is your idea of a good time?_ **

__

_It would be more entertaining if you knew how to play at my level, but yes._

**__**

**_I would never stoop so low. Tell me, why did Crabbe and Goyle really come with you tonight - it wasn’t just for the cakes, surely?_ **

__

_Let’s just say that they spoke longingly of cakes, and such comments may have been seen by another as an opportunity to send them to spy on your study group and see what you were up to._

**__**

**_I see. Another pathetic little plan of Malfoy’s. I should have known._ **

__

_Potter, I carefully did not name the student concerned. Draw your own conclusions, if you must._

**__**

**_How many Herbology lessons would it take for you to agree to poison Malfoy’s food so that he was permanently damaged enough for him to be unable to return to school ever again?_ **

There was a pause for a couple of minutes, and Harry thought he’d either offended Zabini or scared him off. He was about to write and say that he’d only been joking, but then a reply arrived. 

__

_If you feel that way about Malfoy, why are all your plans focused on Professor Snape?_

Harry remembered what Hermione had said about this. **_It’s a question of priorities. Malfoy is a fish and Snape is a shark. I have to keep my eyes on the prize._ **

__

_Even a fish can bite, Potter. And to Malfoy, you are the prize._

**__**

**_Is he likely to attempt to sabotage the study group, then?_ **

__

_No. He knows I want it to continue so that the Herbology lessons do as well, and it’s considered poor form to disrupt another Slytherin’s negotiations unless there’s a very good reason for doing so. Checking on your group was no more than a basic safety measure, in case it was your first step to establishing a political power base within the school._

**__**

**_I assume that’s a joke._**

__

_No._

**__**

**_Really? That has to be a joke!_**

__

_Really, no._

**__**

**_I don’t want a political power base! I’m thirteen years old!_ **

__

_True, you are a late developer, but we Slytherins are always on the lookout for that kind of thing and if you were to ever decide to use your fame as the Boy Who Lived to your own advantage… ****_

**__**

**_I’LL NEVER DO THAT_** . **_I HATE ALL OF THAT STUFF!_**

__

_It’s what Malfoy would do in your place, which is why he was concerned. Rather foolish of him to assign those same values and motivations to you, I know. Don’t worry, we all reassured him that the group was harmless._

**__**

**_Will you all be coming next week?_**

__

_I’ll be there, of course. How could I resist another chance to spend time with the bunnies? If I ask Granger nicely, will she name one after me? We could call it Zabunni!_

__

**_No, we really couldn’t._**

__

_Well then, how about we change the group’s name to the third-year bunny group?_

__

Harry chuckled to himself. **_Yeah yeah, all very amusing. Anyone else going to come along as well?_ **

**__**

_There will be a Slytherin presence. Who it will consist of remains to be seen. Deals to do, favours to call in, etc._

**__**

**_It must be exhausting to be a Slytherin._**

**__**

_I find it exhilarating, myself. Working with a Gryffindor adds a little extra spice to things as well. I could have suggested that we cooperate before, but it would never have occurred to me that you’d have said yes._

**__**

**_I might not have said yes, before. Even now, part of me wonders if I’m making a massive mistake in working with you._ **

__

_Just part of you? I must be making progress then._

**__**

**_I might find it easier to trust you if you answered some more questions._ **

__

_Such as?_

**__**

**_Personal stuff. Do you have any hobbies?_**

__

_Throwing muggles off cliffs and sacrificing live kittens to the powers of darkness are the officially approved Slytherin leisure pursuits._

**__**

**_Ha ha. Any chance of a serious answer?_**

__

_If I must. I like chess. I play the violin. I enjoy painting; street scenes or landscapes, mostly. I’m in the Slytherin Dramatic Arts club – acting is a good way to relax._

**__**

**_Do Slytherins care about their friends and hang out with them like normal people do?_ **

__

_Yes. Obviously. Theo Nott and I have been friends for years. He means a great deal to me; he’s like a brother. I’m also friends with several of the girls in my year. Most Slytherins choose their friends carefully and they take their time in doing so - friendship calls for trust, and trust is such an elusive quality… _

**__**

**_If Nott was being chased by a dragon or something and there was nobody else nearby, would you try and fight the dragon to save him?_ **

__

_Fight it? Of course not. I’m no Gryffindor. I’d just kill the dragon; there are spells for that, you know._

**__**

**_And if the dragon was chasing me?_**

__

_I might need to think about that one._

**__**

**_Hmmm. Going to sleep now. Night, Zabini._**

Harry couldn’t help but smile when a drawing of a little rabbit appeared on the parchment, waving its paw at him. Zabini might be devious, and possibly he had a very different set of moral values, but he was certainly amusing with it. **__**

\-----------------------IIII----------------------- 

Next day was the first quest meeting with Hermione present, and Percy greeted her amicably when they arrived. Harry was just sorry that Ron wasn’t willing to join them, a fact which the three of them decided by unspoken agreement not to mention. 

“Okay, thanks for coming along again, both of you,” Harry said. “Let’s go through the action points from the last meeting one by one. Firstly, I’ve been to see Professor McGonagall and talked to her about our problems with Snape and Potions lessons. She didn’t want me to say too much about that conversation to anyone else, but just between the three of us, she promised to go and see Snape and gave him a month to improve how he teaches. If that doesn’t work then she’s going to bring it up with the Headmaster.” 

“Well, that seems positive,” Hermione said. “As Deputy Headmistress, I’m sure that she’ll have a good deal of influence with the Headmaster.” 

“Yes, but I’m not sure she will with Snape,” Harry said dubiously. “Still, it’s a start – and I’ve got an idea for what we should do during this next month which I’ll tell you about in a minute. Anyway, the second action was for me to learn more about anger management and emotional control. I was able to find a couple of the books that you recommended, Percy, and I’m reading them now - I think they’ll be really useful.” 

“That’s excellent news,” Percy replied with a satisfied smile. “I always say that there are very few problems which can’t be solved with the assistance of a good book!” 

“Oh, I quite agree,” Hermione beamed. 

It occurred to Harry that he was now part of a quest group which consisted of himself and the two most insanely studious people in Gryffindor House. This could be something that he might end up regretting. “Erm right, so, item three – Percy, you were going to ask some of the other students about their experiences of having Potions lessons with Snape. How did that go?” 

Percy’s smile faded. “I think the issue is as serious as you indicated, Harry. I’ve spent the whole week having supposedly casual conversations with Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students in every year of the school. I was given a number of examples of Professor Snape’s teaching methods which caused me concern. His Potions expertise is undeniable, but I fear that he doesn’t have the best manner for talking to students and isn’t as helpful as he should be. The problem is most predominant with the Gryffindors, much more than the other two houses. Several students became upset at my questions, and Romilda Vane cried for about twenty minutes when I brought the matter up. I couldn’t get away!” 

Harry had to work hard not to smile. “That’s not good, but I suppose it does give us the confirmation that we needed.” 

“Yes, I think so. I also – now don’t be angry with me, Harry – I also told Ginny what we’re doing with this quest and asked her opinion of it.” 

“But why? I mean, if she tells other people—" 

“She won’t. I made her promise. I wanted to know, you see, if she was having difficulties with Professor Snape. I _had_ to know.” 

Given what Percy had told him about the previous complaint made about Snape at the Prefects’ meeting, Harry could understand this. “Okay, that’s fine. What did she say?” 

“She thought the quest was an excellent idea. Ginny isn’t easily scared, you know, but she did admit that Professor Snape makes her nervous; he’s regularly very scathing about her work and often takes points for what seem to be highly dubious reasons. She didn’t seem to want to join this group, though – I think that where you’re concerned, Harry…” 

“I know,” he said awkwardly. 

“I wonder if the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students in our year have problems with Professor Snape?” Hermione said. “Did you speak to any of them, Percy? I’d be interested to learn how their Potions classes are run, compared to ours.” 

Harry met Percy’s warning gaze and hastily looked away. “Well yes, I did ask a few of their third years,” Percy said. “It seemed that they aren’t quite as concerned about Professor Snape as the Gryffindors are.” 

“It doesn’t matter, though – any change we can push through will help everyone,” Harry added quickly. 

“That’s true,” Percy said. “And the next item was also mine, as I recall. You wanted to know more about teaching practices at other magical schools. I’ve been able to obtain quite a lot of useful information there,” he said, looking very pleased with himself. He placed an assortment of books, leaflets and rolls of parchment on the table. “I contacted an acquaintance in the Department of International Magical Cooperation who was most helpful. I’ve only had time for a brief perusal of the data but it would seem that at Hogwarts we are, perhaps, less formal in our monitoring processes for teachers than most other schools.” 

Hermione eagerly picked up a couple of the scrolls and started reading. “Oh, this is interesting! Standard grading of teachers with interlinked pay bonuses… surprise inspections… independent assessment panels… of course, every school has its own style and the Headmaster wouldn’t want to make too many changes. I imagine the other Professors wouldn’t want that either.” 

“Well then, I think the solution is to read everything and just pick out the really important points,” Harry said. “We can turn those into a basic plan for improving teaching standards. We might not need to use it, that depends on what the Headmaster says after the month’s finished, but I want to be ready with another option if we need it. And if we choose the standards wisely then the changes will only have an impact on Professor Snape, because he’ll be the only one who won’t meet them.” 

“Well, that’s the thing,” Hermione said slowly. “He might not be.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Harry, I don’t suppose that Professor Binns would pass any type of formal competency test. Professor Trelawney might struggle to as well, and I’m not even sure that Hagrid would be alright - after all, he’s not really the formal type.” 

Percy noticed that Harry looked worried and hastened to reassure him. “You could address that issue by building in mentoring and extra support for any teacher who has difficulty in meeting the requirements.” 

“That would work,” Harry said with a relieved smile. “Although I’d prefer to avoid the formal route entirely. If we can settle it privately with Dumbledore, that would be so much better.” 

“Then I suggest you start working out what you want to say to him when the time comes!” Hermione said. “Can you review all of this magical school information, Harry? I’d normally offer to but I have quite a lot of homework to do this week.” 

Harry didn’t really want to, but he could see that Hermione looked tired. Taking on so many new subjects this year didn’t seem to be agreeing with her. “Yeah, no problem.” 

“Thanks, Harry. What’s next?” 

He grinned. “Well, I want to carry out a bit of an experiment. We know that Snape’s been told by Professor McGonagall to improve his teaching within a month. I was thinking, what if we try and get all of the Gryffindor third-years to work as hard as they can in Potions during this month? You know, put lots of effort into our essays and classwork. And we all support each other in class – maybe people who are stronger at Potions pair up with those who struggle with it. Let’s try and make it as easy as we can for Snape to be reasonable towards us by meeting him half way.” 

Percy looked thoughtful. “But Harry, is there any risk that Professor Snape might put two and two together and link your actions with the complaint made to Professor McGonagall?” 

“Well, a bit I suppose, but I think it’s a risk worth taking,” Harry said. “Because if it doesn’t work, when I meet with Dumbledore it’ll be extra evidence to prove how unreasonable Snape is.” 

Hermione smiled. “You could ask Zabini to help with that. If necessary, he could tell Professor Snape that we’re all working harder in order to help Neville with his boggart problem.” 

“That’s a good idea, Hermione! I’ll make sure he passes that on if necessary. So, we need to set up a meeting of all third years and see if they’ll cooperate. I’ll talk to the boys. Can you speak to the girls? Ask them to meet us here at 4.30 tomorrow for a third form meeting and not to mention it to anyone.” 

“It’d be easier to assemble everyone in the common room,” Percy commented. 

“Can’t risk it,” Harry replied with a grin. “Not with the twins watching so closely. If they find out what we’re up to then it’ll be all over the school within half a day.” 

Percy sighed. “Indeed. I hope they won’t give us any trouble. Or at least, not more than usual.” 

“You could always ask your Mum to write to them, might that work?” 

“Anything short of a howler tends not to sink in nowadays,” Percy said with a long-suffering sigh. “Just make sure they’re not around when you issue the invitations and it should be fine. Can I do anything else?” 

“Nothing just yet, though we will need to monitor all seven Gryffindor Potions classes in the coming weeks to check if Snape’s making any changes – so maybe some further Head Boy discussions every now and again through the month? You can leave Romilda Vane out of it, though!” 

“I’ll be happy to,” Percy said with a grimace. 

“I don’t blame you! Next meeting two days from now, if that’s okay,” Harry said. He felt optimistic about their progress, even despite the amount of work that he had to do. 

\-----------------------IIII----------------------- 

It was a highly nervous Harry who met with the other third-year Gryffindors the following day. When he’d spoken to the other boys, all he told them was that he wanted their help with something and could they please meet to discuss it. Ron had looked disgruntled, as he’d clearly realised this was a quest meeting, but he’d agreed to come along too. Harry had also taken Neville aside for a quiet word the next morning and explained that he intended to make reference to the Snape boggart at the meeting, if Neville didn’t mind. The other boy was surprised but had immediately agreed. 

“Okay, so thanks for coming,” he said. “This won’t take long. It’s—” 

He broke off as the classroom door opened and Fred and George casually strolled in, to Harry’s intense irritation. They were smirking at him, silently daring him to react; they knew that he wouldn’t want them there, but also that he wouldn’t find it easy to say so in front of everyone. Harry glared at them, which only made them smirk more. 

“Afternoon, fellow Gryffindors,” Fred said amiably. “We happened to notice you come in and thought we’d come along and see what you’re up to.” 

“Whatever it is, we’re interested,” George said. “Especially if it’s against the rules.” They both sat down and grinned around. 

Harry frowned. This was the second time that the twins had ‘happened’ to find him in places he wouldn’t normally be, and he was sure it wasn’t a coincidence. “Thanks guys, but this is a third-year meeting only.” 

“No need to be so rude and stand-offish, Harry”, Fred said, pretending to look hurt. “I’m sure that whatever deep dark secret this is all about, we’ll be very useful. We have such creative minds, you know. We’re famed for it. And nobody else is bothered about us being here, right?” He looked around the room pointedly. The other third years, who all knew it wasn’t good policy to go up against the twins, made vague noises of agreement. 

Harry glanced across to Hermione who gave him a helpless look and shrugged. Clearly, he’d have to go along with it. “Fine,” he said stiffly. “But this is a secret meeting so you have to promise not to say anything to anybody.” 

“We promise,” they said at the same time, with identical victory grins. Harry gave them a ‘this isn’t over’ look. 

“Okay. Well, let’s start by going back to the Defence class a couple of weeks ago where we all met the boggart.” A couple of the students snickered at the memory. “I didn’t actually get to deal with the boggart but if I had, you would have seen that mine is a dementor. That’s quite a scary thing, and some of the other forms the boggart took were awful. But then, there was Neville’s boggart.” Neville looked self-conscious but he gave Harry a small nod. “And most of us laughed at the time, didn’t we? Such a funny joke, seeing Snape dressed up like Neville’s Gran, how hilarious. I have to tell you though that it wasn’t so funny to me. The thing is, even before then I’d started to get really bothered about the way we Gryffindors get treated in Potions class by Professor Snape. And that being so, I was pretty disturbed to see that Snape was Neville’s boggart. It can’t be easy for him to have to come into contact with the thing he fears most _every single day_.” 

He stopped, waiting for a reaction, but nobody seemed to know what to say. Neville nodded solemnly. “I’d like to do something about Snape,” Harry went on. “I don’t know if he’s even capable of changing his ways, but I can’t stay on the side-lines and do nothing while one of my friends gets picked on.” Neville grinned with pleasure at being referred to as Harry’s friend. 

“What do you want to do about him, though?” Seamus asked. “Sounds a bit risky.” 

“Whatever it is, we can’t take the risk!” Lavender said in alarm. “Sorry Neville, but I’m pretty scared of him too!” 

“Yeah, and I don’t need any more detentions,” Ron muttered. 

“Or more points lost,” Parvati said. “He’s really been mean this term about that.” 

“It’s the same for us,” Fred agreed with a sigh. “We can’t get through a single lesson without losing points by the shedload. Even when we don’t deserve to, which does sometimes happen.” 

“Which is why we need to do something about Snape,” Harry said firmly. “Don’t worry though, it’s nothing bad – quite the opposite, really. I want all of us third-years to try and work really hard at Potions for, say, the next month. We put more effort into our homework, act politely in class at all times towards Snape and the Slytherins, and do our best to brew successful potions. I think if we change partners so everyone who finds Potions class a bit difficult can pair up with someone who’s good at it then that might help too. It’s a bit of an experiment, really. We do our absolute best to shine for a few weeks and see how he reacts.” 

“You must be joking!” Ron said in disbelief. “There’s absolutely no way that will work.” 

“It might,” Harry told him firmly. “And even if it doesn’t, what have you got to lose?” 

“Well, it’ll take longer to do the work,” Dean said. “I don’t normally spend much time on my Potions essays. I used to work hard on them but I stopped in first year because Snape always gave me poor marks, so why try?” 

“Can you find the extra time, though?” Harry asked. “It’s only for a month. And what you’ve just said only goes to prove how important it is for us to take a stand.” 

“Well, I suppose so…” 

“Great!” Harry said with a beaming smile. “Thanks very much. Now, who else is in?” 

“I’ll do it,” Neville said immediately. “Will you partner with me in class, Harry?” 

“Sure, no problem.” 

“And I’ll get involved too, of course,” Hermione said. “Maybe we could work together, Ron?” 

Ron said nothing and looked sullen. Harry stared at him pleadingly. “Ron, I know you might not want to support this and I understand why, but I don’t want to do something this important without you. As a favour to me, please will you join us?” 

“Okay,” he said reluctantly. “I still think it’s a silly idea though.” 

Harry heaved a sigh of relief. “Thanks so much, mate.” 

After a bit more discussion, the remaining third years all agreed to go along with the plan. Harry knew that they didn’t expect it to work, but that fact that they were backing him anyway felt great. “I really appreciate this, thanks very much everyone.” 

“You have to buy us all butterbeers when we go to Hogsmeade in return!” Parvati said, making everyone laugh. 

“You’re on,” Harry said with a grin, his good mood not even dampened by the reminder of his inability to join them. He made a mental note to give Ron and Hermione some money to buy the butterbeers on his behalf. 

“It’ll be worth it when we all get Os in our Potions OWLs!” Dean joked. 

Harry smirked. He’d just thought of the perfect way to take his revenge on the twins for sneaking into his meeting. “True. Oh, and one thing more. I realise that some of you might need assistance with improving your Potions homework. I’d normally ask Hermione to help out but she’s really busy this term and I know she won’t have the time. However, as they’ve decided to be a part of this group _without_ being invited, I’m nominating Fred and George to work with each person and give them some general advice on the essays they have to do this month. They won’t do the work for you or anything, they’ll just help you improve the structure of your essays. I imagine that won’t be a problem, will it guys? After all, if you’ve got the time to follow people around and ‘happen’ to join their meetings then you can obviously spare enough time for a little extra Potions work as well, right?” 

The twins looked at each other in surprise, and then grinned broadly. 

“We’ve been well played there, Fred.” 

“Too right we have! Okay Harry, sign us up.” 

“No deliberate mistakes, mind you,” Harry warned them. “Give people proper help, right?” 

They nodded, crossing their hearts solemnly. 

Ron sighed. “It’s going to be a really, _really_ long month.” 

\-----------------------IIII----------------------- 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who has left comments or kudos!


	7. Get all your ducks in a row

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All rights to the Harry Potter universe belong to JK Rowling. I don’t own Harry Potter.

****

_The project leader should propose specific and realistic dates for the completion of tasks, sub-tasks and objectives. Information should be shared with others involved, and unexpected issues arising which could impact on the project, even indirectly, should be tackled promptly._

The usual Thursday night Gryffindor quidditch practice was called off the following day, due to weather so foul that even Oliver Wood reluctantly agreed it would be the best policy to remain indoors. With several unexpected hours free, Harry was tempted to allow himself a lazy evening by the fire for the once. However, Harry didn’t think that Percy would approve; he’d had been regaling Harry with tips for effective time management regularly over the past couple of weeks. Percy had even owled Harry a list of apparently important things to remember about managing his time well, such as _“lost time is gone forever”_ , _“tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week”_ and _“you can always find a reason NOT do something!”_ With this in mind, Harry decided that a trip to the library for some quiet research would probably be a wise idea instead. He reached the library doors at the same time as Malfoy, who was trailed in the usual way by Crabbe and Goyle. Harry smiled at the sight of them - perhaps there wastime for a little fun tonight after all. 

“Evening Malfoy,” Harry said pleasantly. “Crabbe, Goyle. Here for homework?” 

“It’s none of your business what I’m here for,” Malfoy snarled. 

“Oh sorry, I didn’t mean to pry,” Harry said with a fake look of guilt. “It’s just that I’ve noticed you haven’t joined us at third-year study group yet. It’s optional of course but people do seem to like it. Maybe one day you’ll give it a try?” 

Malfoy sneered. “Me, join your stupid study group? Not a chance, Potter. We’ve got far better study groups in Slytherin, anyway. Nobody would even go to your one if there weren’t cakes.” Harry saw Crabbe and Goyle exchange guilty looks. 

“Well, you could be right,” Harry said heartily. “But I don’t mind why people want to come along, I’m just glad that they do. If it’s for the cakes, then that’s absolutely not a problem! They are rather tasty. Awful weather we’re having tonight, isn’t it? I think this is the worst October I can remember since starting Hogwarts. These Scottish autumns are quite severe at times.” 

“Yeah, it’s really wet,” Crabbe said unexpectedly. “We went to Herbology before and I got all rained on.” 

“Never mind about the damn weather!” Malfoy said angrily. “Honestly Potter, you’re the most boring conversationalist I ever met.” 

“Well then, you should give me some tips on how to improve,” he replied cheerfully. “I’m more than willing to take advice. I expect you’re quite the chatty one in the Slytherin common room. Do you know any jokes? I know a few. Seamus told me one the other day about a man who went into—” 

“Save it Potter, I’m not interested!” Malfoy snarled, looking completely exasperated. “You’re a joke yourself, if you ask me! Come on you two – let’s go.” 

Harry grinned with triumph as he watched the three Slytherins turn around and walk back the way they came from. He had only started being nice to Malfoy because of the quest, as part of his ‘win over the Slytherins so that Professor Snape had one less reason to hate him’ policy. However, Harry had been astonished to find that the nicer he was to Malfoy, the more annoyed Malfoy was by it. It really seemed as if Malfoy wanted him to get angry, and when he failed to then the other boy didn’t know how to react at all. Harry loved the knowledge that he could use friendliness as a weapon against Malfoy, and the beauty of it was that it even made him look good in the process. A first year Slytherin student passed by him then; she’d clearly overheard the conversation. Harry glanced across at her and winked slyly. She tossed her head and walked off without saying a word, but Harry could see that she’d been fighting hard not to smile. He suspected that the story of his encounter with Malfoy would soon be making the rounds of the Slytherin common room, and hoped that Zabini would find it amusing. 

Feeling thoroughly pleased with himself, Harry settled down at a table in the corner and pulled out his work. He intended to read through the information about other magical schools that Percy had given him, and use this to come up with a plan for creating a list of Hogwarts teaching standards. Hermione had advised him to minimise the impact on the Professors’ workload if possible, as they were unlikely to support any changes which involved a lot of extra responsibility. Of course, there was also the fact that although this was all about Snape, he couldn’t actually say that. The idea was to ask for some general teaching improvements which, coincidentally, were targeted at all of the issues that Gryffindors experienced in Potions class. 

After an hour of reading about how other magical schools operated, Harry had picked out a number of ideas which interested him. He’d already decided to create a Hogwarts Teaching Charter, which would be a declaration of the basic ways in which students should be treated by the Professors. It was surprising that something like this hadn’t been created before, but Hermione had assured him that it hadn’t and he certainly wouldn’t be reading _Hogwarts: A History_ just to prove her wrong. Pulling out a spare piece of parchment, Harry started to jot down his ideas. 

__

_Professors should speak to students in a professional manner and never humiliate or bully them._

__

That should definitely be included, Harry thought as he put down some more notes. Now, what could be next… smiling to himself, he kept writing. All kinds of ideas were sparking off in his mind, and all he had to do was turn them in to sensible proposals. Quests really were so rewarding that everybody should have one. 

\-----------------------IIII----------------------- 

Potions club that Friday turned out to be an unexpected success. There were about twenty-five other students present, although none that Neville or Harry knew at all well. On arrival they were greeted cordially by Robert Hilliard, a seventh-year Ravenclaw who was in charge of that evening’s session. He explained that each meeting of Potions club started with a demonstration of some kind, which was optional but they should find it useful. After that, they could brew whichever potion they wished. 

“We’re a friendly group, you’ll find, and we get on well,” Hilliard said cheerfully. “It’s fine to chat with the others while you’re brewing a potion, as long as you keep an eye on it of course. You can also go over and see what other people are working on if you want to, and they’ll come to you. As you can see, we’ve got a potions stock cupboard of our own which is quite well equipped, but if you want to brew anything that involves unusual ingredients then let us know in advance so that we can order them. Also, mentoring is available if you want it – we operate what you might call informal apprenticeships if people are interested.” 

“Oh, thanks,” Harry said, and Neville nodded in agreement. 

“Okay, so if you need help at all then just give me a shout, or the other students that are supervising tonight – that’s Lucian Bole from Slytherin over there setting things up, and your fellow Gryffindor Eleanor Birchgrove helping him. Any Potions you make need to be left here for testing and we’ll let you know the results next time, or we’re here for an hour on Sunday mornings from 10-11am if you want to collect any successful potions then for your own use. And just one thing you need to remember as well, this one’s really important; it’s against the rules to mention the name of a certain Potions master while you’re here.” 

Harry grinned. “Why’s that exactly?” 

“Because we’ve found through experience that not mentioning him tends to help us avoid bitter arguments. We all agree that he’s brilliant at Potions, but beyond that… there are people here who deeply respect and admire the man, and others who think he’s a bitter and nasty sod who ought to be dumped in the lake from a great height.” He winked at Harry and Neville, who both laughed. “If you _must_ make a reference to him, then we’ve given him a code name that you can use – Macbeth.” 

“I hope I won’t forget and use his actual name by mistake,” Neville said worriedly. 

“Don’t worry about that,” Hilliard replied tolerantly. “New members often forget at first – but usually only the once though,” he added with a smile. 

“What does Macbeth mean?” Harry asked curiously. “Why did you choose that name?” 

Hilliard grinned. “It’s just a little muggle-based joke that one of my predecessors came up with. Macbeth is the name of a play written by the muggle author William Shakespeare, but apparently muggle actors call it ‘The Scottish Play’ because it’s considered unlucky to say the actual name. In the play, the character of Macbeth was ruthless and treated everyone around him horribly. The purebloods don’t really get it, of course. When the name was suggested they were just told that Macbeth was an ambitious and famous Scottish king, and that the play involved witches and potions, so they decided that was okay.” 

Harry and Neville smiled politely, even though neither of them really understood the joke properly. Neville knew practically nothing about muggle culture, while Harry couldn’t remember anything much about the works of Shakespeare. 

“Oh look, we’re ready to start the demonstration,” Hilliard said. “You should find this interesting.” 

And indeed, it was interesting. Everyone gathered round and watched with interest as Lucian Bole gave them a thorough training session on the use of Potions knives and the best way to chop, cut, slice, dice and mash their ingredients. There were also explanations about how to avoid cross-contamination when you were handling different components of a potion, and also how to avoid hurting yourself when working with ingredients that could bite or move around on their own. Harry was impressed with Bole’s teaching methods. The Slytherin explained everything clearly, threw in the odd joke here and there (who knew that Slytherins had a sense of humour!) and willingly took questions as he worked. Towards the end Harry felt comfortable enough to ask a couple of things, and even Neville went so far as to ask for the best method of cleaning knives after cutting mandrake plants. 

“So, do you have any plans for a potion that you’d like to brew?” Hilliard asked them when the demonstration finished and everyone dispersed to start work on their own potions. 

“I was hoping we could try a Calming Potion,” Harry said, with a smirk at Neville who rolled his eyes. 

“Good choice! Help yourself to ingredients then and you can use that bench over there.” 

Harry and Neville set up their equipment and started preparing their potion. It was unquestionably the most relaxing potions work that either of them had ever done. Without ‘Macbeth’ hovering over his cauldron and sneering, Harry felt much more tranquil and comfortable. Neville also seemed to grow in confidence and optimism as the evening went on. The three students in charge made the rounds of the room regularly, helping where needed but otherwise just chatting and encouraging people, and praising their work. At one point while their potion needed to simmer for ten minutes, Harry and Neville had a cheerful conversation with Edith Chambers and Bhavna Patel at the next bench about brewing antidotes to snake venom. Their Calming potion looked just right by the end of the session, and Harry was confident that it would work. He’d collect it on Sunday morning for Neville to use at his first Herbology mentoring session with the Slytherins the next day. 

“We’re coming again next week, aren’t we Harry?” Neville said eagerly as they left the room after thanking the supervising students for their help. 

“Definitely,” Harry smiled. 

\-----------------------IIII----------------------- 

Harry got out his memo page once back in the common room and started chatting to Zabini. It wasn’t surprising that Zabini was awake, as Harry had found him to be something of a night owl. Conversations via memo messages had now become a regular fixture of the week for Harry. He’d initially found it a useful way of updating the other boy on the progress of his quest, but they’d quickly moved on to chat about all sorts of topics now. Sometimes it was school gossip, or the latest news headlines in the Daily Prophet. Other times Harry shared his thoughts on quidditch, while Zabini entranced him with lyrical descriptions of his favourite Italian cities. Harry was enjoying the experience of chatting (although at a distance) with someone who was witty, well-informed and full of unexpected views about all sorts of things. He’d asked Hermione at one point if this was a good idea, worried that he might be making a mistake by letting his guard down with the Slytherin boy. However, her view was that as long as Harry told him nothing highly confidential then it should be fine. 

“Whenever you’re not sure if you should mention something, Harry, imagine how you’d feel if Zabini passed the information on to Malfoy and he mocked you about it in front of everyone. That’s the absolute worst-case scenario. If it’s a really personal fact and you’d absolutely hate everyone knowing it, then don’t tell Zabini. If it would merely be annoying that he’d passed the information on but you wouldn’t be deeply upset, then you may as well trust Zabini until he gives you good reason not to.” Harry had adopted this policy and found that it really did help him to decide what to say to the Slytherin boy and what not to. 

**__**

**_Any plans for the weekend, Zabini?_**

__

_Not much. There’s a Slytherin duelling tournament tomorrow afternoon that I’m entering._

**__**

**_You lot have duelling? I’m jealous. I bet it’s nothing like Professor Lockhart’s idea of a duel!_ **

__

_Indeed not. We take our duelling very seriously. That fop couldn’t have duelled his way out of bed in the morning._

**__**

**_Good one! Will Professor Snape be there?_**

__

_Yes, for at least some of the time. There are several levels of competition and he normally can’t spare the whole afternoon to watch them. He’s usually there for the last part. Whoever wins the tournament overall has the right to ask him for a duel, and if they win then Professor Snape gives them a small trophy to commemorate their victory._

**__**

**_How often does somebody beat Snape?_**

__

_Rarely. Professor Snape is an outstanding duellist. Some say he’s even better than Professor Flitwick. I’ve duelled him a couple of times during visits to Malfoy Manor in the summer holidays and lost both times. He was holding back even then though; I could sense it. I didn’t like that. However, I accept I’m not good enough to compete with him on equal terms yet._

**__**

**_I’m curious about something - do you like Professor Snape?_ **

__

_I don’t know if like is the right word. I respect him. I value him. I admire his achievements. I know you’ll have an opposing view and I quite understand why, but if you could see him through a Slytherin’s eyes… he’s different when he’s just with us._

**_Different how? You mean, actually friendly? Funny, even?_ **

__

_He can be, yes. I can’t really explain. He understands us. He’s on our side. He listens and gives advice. He doesn’t judge. Sometimes he knows what we want before we know it ourselves._

**__**

**_I see._**

__

_I have a question for you, Potter. Do you hate Professor Snape? An honest answer would be appreciated, or none at all if you’d rather not say._

Harry hesitated for a minute or so, initially not sure how to reply. **_There have been times, moments, when I have hated him, yes. When he’s made fun of me in class or talked about my father in a horrible way. But I don’t hate him all the time. I mostly just dislike him the same way I dislike Filch, because he’s a nasty person who treats students badly._ **

__

_How would you feel towards Professor Snape if your plans to improve Potions lessons are a success?_

**__**

**_You mean if he treated us Gryffindors reasonably and didn’t pick on me any more?_ **

__

_Yes, exactly._

**__**

**_Well… I suppose I wouldn’t have very much reason to dislike him then. We wouldn’t need to be enemies._ **

__

_I see. Thanks for being open with me._

**__**

**_You’re easy to talk to. Well, write to._**

__

_I like you, Potter. Even though you are a ghastly Gryffindor. How would you like to duel with me sometime?_

**__**

**_You’d probably completely annihilate me._**

__

_Oh dear, that would be unfortunate. I’d feel awfully bad if that happened._

**__**

**_Liar! And yes, I’d like to duel. I’m a bit busy at the moment. Maybe towards the end of next week?_ **

__

_Agreed. Can I bring Nott as well? It’s about time the two of you started to get to know each other._

__

**_Yeah, okay._**

__

_Thank you. Bring a friend of your own along too, if you’d like. Don’t forget to have some bruise balm with you. You’ll need it for all the times I intend to slam you to the ground. Just as well you’re going to be a healer, then - I expect you already have plenty of that in stock._

**__**

**_AARRRGGGHH!!!_**

**__**

\-----------------------IIII----------------------- 

**__**

The next day, Neville was literally beaming when he returned to the common room in late afternoon, just having finished his first mentoring session with Zabini. “Harry, it was brilliant! Can we go upstairs a minute? I have to tell you all about it.” 

Harry grinned. “Sure, Neville.” 

Back in the dorm, Neville sat down on his bed and smiled beatifically. “Honestly Harry, it was nothing like I could have imagined. You’ll never believe what we did!” 

“Well there’s no point in me guessing then, is there?” 

“No no, I’ll tell you! To start with, Blaise asked me a few questions about home life and what school subjects I find hardest. Well, that’s everything apart from Herbology, to be honest. So then he asked me to cast a tripping jinx on him, just to see how good I was at offensive spells.” Neville blushed a little. “I tried a few times but it wouldn’t work. Blaise asked me about the wand, and was it damaged – he said it looked a bit awkward, the way I was holding it. I said it was fine, as far as I knew, but with it being my Dad’s wand it is quite old. He seemed a bit surprised at that but said we’d come back to it later.” 

“What happened next?” 

“Well, then he asked me whether I had any ambitions. I hadn’t really thought about it before, but I said that I wanted to be a strong wizard that people respected instead of making fun of. And I suppose, I want my Gran to think I’m, you know, worthwhile.” 

“Doesn’t she think that already?” 

“Well… I don’t think so. Still, Blaise said that chasing other people’s good opinion is something you can spend your whole life on, and what for? He said I should think about what kind of a person I want to be and try to be _that_ person, and not always spend time trying to meet other people’s unrealistic expectations.” 

“I suppose that makes sense.” 

“Yes, though I’m still not sure what I think about it – it _would_ be nice if Gran was happier with me. After that, Blaise asked me what I thought my main faults were. So I started explaining the stuff Gran usually says, and then he took out a piece of parchment and told me to write down the things that she or my other relatives criticise about me and tell me that I have to do better.” 

“That seems like a weird thing to ask,” Harry said doubtfully. 

“I wasn’t sure why myself at first, but I did it. Then Blaise put another blank piece of parchment in front of me and told me to write down any compliments or praise that Gran or my other relatives had ever given me. The thing is… when he asked me that, I couldn’t think of anything to write at all.” 

Harry didn’t know how to reply to this, and there was an awkward pause. “Sorry to hear that,” he said eventually. 

“It’s okay,” Neville replied calmly. “Gran’s always been quite forceful. I thought and thought about it, but there wasn’t a single example I could come up with. I said to Blaise that maybe there wasn’t anything nice to say about me in the first place. He said that was complete rubbish and that my family just weren’t trying hard enough to see my many virtues.” Neville smiled then. “I suppose I was a bit doubtful still, so he took the paper from me and said he’d write some nice things to get me started, so that I could start to appreciate myself a bit more. Do you want to look? I don’t want to read them out loud, like I’m showing off or anything.” 

Harry took the parchment, on which was written in Blaise’s elegant and flowing handwriting: 

**__**

_Neville Longbottom is…_

_Polite and courteous to others_

_Not prejudiced against Slytherins_

_Thoughtful and considerate_

_An absolute genius at Herbology_

_Loyal to his family and friends_

_Brave and truthful_

_In no way devious or selfish_

Harry was impressed at what Blaise had done; it was a very clever way of encouraging Neville to think more about himself in a positive way. He handed the paper back to a blushing Neville. “He’s right about all of those things, you know. I think your family should be saying nice stuff to you as well. It’s not a good idea to just criticise people all the time; I know what that’s like.” 

“Thanks for thinking that. Blaise said I had to start believing in myself a bit more. He told me that if I think badly of myself all the time then I’ll never live up to my potential. Oh, and he gave me this poster. He said I have to read it out loud every morning until it sinks in.” He unrolled a poster which said in bright blue letters: _“Believe in yourself and you’re already half way there!”_

“You should put that up on the wall,” Harry said. “It’s good advice.” 

“I will. But Harry, I haven’t even told you the best bit! After we’d talked a bit more, Blaise said we had to go to see Professor Snape so that he could ask for permission for us to do something. I didn’t like the sound of that but he said it’d be fine. So I waited outside Professor Snape’s office for a few minutes while Blaise spoke to him, then the door opened and Blaise told me to come in.” 

“You must have been really nervous then, I bet!” 

“I was, but Professor Snape was at his desk marking essays and barely looked at me. He just gestured at the fireplace. Blaise handed me a big cloak to put on with a hood and said to keep myself covered up the whole time. Then he put a cloak on himself, and the next thing I knew we were flooing to Diagon alley!” 

“Wow! But that’s not allowed, is it?” 

“Well, we had Professor Snape’s permission to go but it’s not normally done, so Blaise told me not to say anything to anyone apart from you. I asked where we were going and he said to buy me a new wand! I didn’t feel comfortable with that at first, but Blaise said that my Dad wouldn’t have been as good a wizard as he was if he’d had to use someone else’s wand. And also, if I fell over or something then I might break it, so why not keep it to honour my father as a treasured possession but not use it for everyday use? Well, given how clumsy I am, I could see the appeal of that. In the end, he suggested that we’d ask Mr. Ollivander’s opinion, and if he agreed that my wand was the best thing for me then I could keep it. Well, when we went into the shop Mr. Ollivander asked me to demonstrate the use of my wand, and as soon as I did, he was saying ‘Oh no, oh no, that won’t do at all!’ and rolling his eyes in some strange way.” 

“Yeah, I remember that thing with the eyes,” Harry said dryly. “Mr. Ollivander agreed that you needed a new wand, then?” 

“Yes! He told me that it was essential. Blaise gave me this really smug grin when he heard that. I tried a lot of wands and eventually found the right one. Twelve inches, ash and unicorn hair,” he said with pride, showing Harry the new wand. “Then we came back to school right away. The whole trip must have taken less than twenty minutes. Blaise asked Mr. Ollivander not to mention that he’d seen us, so Gran won’t find out.” 

“Yeah, I can understand why you don’t want to tell her.” 

“I’ll keep it a secret at home for now. It’s not like I’m allowed to do magic in the holidays anyway. But I’ll tell her one day, when I feel ready. Blaise said that the day I do that will be the day that I no longer need his valuable and excellent life guidance.” 

“He’s not modest, is he?” Harry grinned. 

Neville laughed. “No, but I think I like him anyway.” 

“Me too, even if he _is_ the sneakiest person I’ve ever met.” 

\-----------------------IIII----------------------- 

Ten days later, and work on the quest continued at a good pace. Neville’s first Herbology tutorial had been supervised by both Harry and Percy, just to be sure that all went well, but there had been no issues with it. As promised, the Slytherins were on their best behaviour; everyone worked hard and caused no trouble. Zabini had sighed with relief when Neville, at Harry’s suggestion, handed out gardening gloves so that nobody needed to handle the plants directly. Apart from Pansy Parkinson there were no other third years in the group, the rest being second or first years. Neville had been visibly nervous at the start, but his passion for all things plant-like soon took over and he quickly became more confident and animated. Harry thought the session was excellent and he learned quite a few things himself – even Percy had scribbled down a few notes. Zabini messaged him afterwards to say that the Slytherins were very pleased too. A jubilant Neville even told Harry and Percy afterwards that they didn’t need to come along next time as he’d be fine on his own. 

Also, both Harry and Neville had met up with Zabini and Nott for a duelling session, which left them bruised in many places and far too familiar with the floor of the training room they were using. It was quite clear that the Slytherins outclassed them significantly. That was a bit embarrassing, and of course Zabini had mocked Harry (though not Neville) mercilessly for it, but they were still glad to have tried duelling properly. The two Slytherins were very different in character; Nott was much quieter and less extrovert, though he seemed just as confident and had a wry sense of humour which surfaced occasionally. They were quite willing to teach Harry and Neville some of the spells that they’d been using, including a number of useful jinxes. It was agreed that they’d meet for another set of duelling matches again soon, though Harry knew they’d have to work hard to stand even a slight chance of defeating the Slytherins. Zabini had cheerfully promised to bring a couple of first years along next time as well, “to act as competition of the same standard”. Harry had been torn between annoyance at being asked to duel students two years younger than him and worry that even so, he might still lose. A cheerful Neville told him later though that as long as they learned something from the experience that it didn’t matter, and he reluctantly supposed that was true. 

There had also been two Potions lessons since the third-year Gryffindors had agreed to go along with Harry’s ‘do your absolute best at Potions’ plan. So far, it wasn’t going too well. Snape seemed to be highly suspicious of them, even though the man clearly didn’t know quite why. As far as Harry could see there was no significant change in his teaching style. He didn’t seem to appreciate the class of enthusiastic, polite and hard-working Gryffindors that he was now presented with and took points liberally at any opportunity. Harry drew upon his fledgling anger management skills to show no visible reaction when he lost ten points in each lesson for “looking generally bedraggled” and “carrying that bookbag in an unruly manner”. His latest essay had scored an A which was, as the name suggested, acceptable. He’d worked hard on it though, and he did think an E would have been the correct mark. 

As for the other Gryffindors, they were not slow after each lesson in pointing out to Harry that a) his idea was rubbish, b) Snape wasn’t even noticing all of their hard work and c) again, his idea was rubbish. They’d agreed to a month of the plan and nobody was backing out, but Harry knew they had no expectations of success. And nor did he really, but he didn’t want to explain to them all of the history behind it – or that this was only a precursor to what he saw as the main event, i.e. his discussion with Dumbledore. Still, Harry liked the fact that the Gryffindors were all working on something together as one group, since that hardly ever happened. It had a pleasing, cosy feeling of community about it. Well, he saw it that way at least – he suspected that the other third-years would have described it rather differently. 

\-----------------------IIII----------------------- 

One Wednesday afternoon, Harry, Ron and Hermione were walking back to the castle. They had just been to visit Hagrid at his home, and spent an emotional half hour listening to him wail about his failures as a teacher and his worries about Buckbeak the hippogriff’s future, now that Malfoy had branded Buckbeak a dangerous monster. Since the hippogriff had struck Malfoy during their first Care of Magical Creatures class a month ago, he had been walking round with a bandage prominently wrapped around his arm and an exaggerated air of suffering. Harry suspected there wasn’t a soul in the castle who believed that Malfoy’s arm was actually still damaged. It had only been a bit of a cut, which would have been nothing for Madam Pomfrey to deal with. 

“Do you think Hagrid will be okay?” Ron said. “I mean, if Malfoy’s got his father involved, which he seems to have, then it might be difficult to save Hagrid’s job as a Professor.” 

“Things aren’t looking too good,” Harry replied with concern. “Hagrid seems really upset, and I don’t know how he’ll manage if anything happens to Buckbeak.” 

“Harry, isn’t there something that you can do?” Hermione asked him meaningfully. 

Harry realised immediately that she was referring to Zabini. “I’ll think about it,” he said cautiously. 

Ron frowned. “I don’t like it when you talk in some kind of secret code around me.” 

“We wouldn’t have to if you were part of the quest!” Hermione snapped. “I don’t understand why you’ve let your stupid pride keep you out of it. You’re the one who told us not to talk to you about it!” 

“Yeah, because I’m not going to turn into some grovelling, Slytherin loving—” 

“Shut up!” Hermione screeched at him. “It’s nothing like that. Honestly, I don’t know what’s wrong with you these days - but whatever it is, I wish you’d get over it!” 

“What’s wrong with me? Well for one thing, my pet rat is being constantly terrorised by your pet cat which is making him _really ill_ , and for another thing Harry’s acting exactly like you this term – and take my word for it, Hermione, one of you is more than enough!” 

With a furious glare, she pulled away from them both and ran back to the castle. 

“That was a nasty thing to say,” Harry told him. “I’m sorry about Scabbers, I know you’re worried about him. But Ron, the quest I’m working on is my idea and the changes that come with it are my changes. There’s no need to take your anger out on Hermione. You’re my friend, Ron. I feel really bad that this isn’t something the three of us are doing together. Is there any chance of you changing your mind?” 

“I told you,” Ron said in a hard voice. “I don’t want to be involved. I’m already putting loads of effort into Potions for no return at all, thanks to you. Go and ask Dumbledore to re-sort you into Snape’s House if you want to, I don’t care!” 

Ron turned and stomped off, leaving Harry to seethe alone. He decided to leave Ron be for a little while, so that they could both calm down. He also took out his memo and sent Blaise a quick note asking for a face to face meeting. Perhaps he could help with the Hagrid issue after all. 

\-----------------------IIII----------------------- 

Harry had to manage his time much more carefully than usual since starting his quest a month ago. There were his two extra elective classes as well as his usual ones, plus quidditch practice three times a week and homework. The homework took longer than usual as well, due to his new policy of completing it without Hermione’s help. (Hermione entirely approved of this policy, while Ron called it “completely stupid”. Harry wasn’t sure which of them was right.) It took him a while to get used to the concept of studying self-reliance, but the reduction in nagging from Hermione was a useful trade-off. He also found that it quite satisfying to hand in an essay knowing that it was all his own work – and after all, he wouldn’t have Hermione’s help when he sat exams. Third-year study club on Monday nights and Potions Club on Fridays were now regular features of his week, and he often met for quest discussions with Hermione and Percy as well. Harry continued to study emotional control, and his nightly meditation sessions were now a habit; he was confident that his skills at clearing his mind were slowly improving. He also continued messaging Zabini, whose writing contained mainly of droll comments about school and current events, plus teasingly sarcastic observations about the many failings of Gryffindors in general. 

Both Harry and Neville really enjoyed Potions club. Now that they’d been to it a few times they knew most of the other members and felt quite at home. He’d teased Neville after their second meeting, when his absent-minded mention of Professor Snape by name had led to a delighted roar of “MACBETH!” from all of the other students. (This reaction, it turned out, was a club tradition). Both of them were learning a great deal from the weekly demonstrations, and from brewing potions afterwards. Although Neville was still sometimes clumsy with ingredient preparation, he was making definite progress. At Harry’s suggestion they’d started working through a list of potions that either of them had had particular difficulty with in first or second year. Harry had been forced to miss one Potions club meeting due to an extra quidditch practice scheduled by an even more intense than usual Oliver Wood. Neville had been disappointed about that, but when Harry suggested he ask one of the other Gryffindors to go with him instead, Neville said surprisingly, “I’d rather not, Harry. It’s _our_ thing, don’t you think?” And Harry thought about it and agreed that yes, perhaps it was. 

The third-year study club was by now well established and was generally seen as a success. Malfoy was no longer making sarcastic comments about it, which Harry was relieved about. Those who attended told their friends about it, which led to a number of new people coming along each week. Colin Creevey had even asked to attend one meeting so that he could see how it worked and start his own club for the second years. They had at least twelve or thirteen students there each time, with one week reaching a high of seventeen people. Everyone was chatty and relaxed, and Harry said privately to Hermione that he found it hard to get much actual work done some weeks. Still, even she admitted that having plenty of joking and gossiping did help provide an incentive for people to come back to future sessions. There had been the occasional clash when spirited discussions started to turn into arguments, but Hermione had simply repeated their two club rules sharply and insisted that everyone _just calm down_. Zabini ensured there were at least a couple of other Slytherins there each time, and the steady supply of sweet treats meant that Crabbe and/or Goyle were often among those present. 

Inevitably however, these new activities were eating into Harry’s free time and they had an impact on how often he could just hang out with his friends. There were only a couple of free nights in his week and those tended to be filled with homework. Harry knew that Ron wasn’t happy with this, and his friend also made it clear (abundantly clear) that he disapproved of Harry’s increase in study time and stronger focus on school-work. He also seemed to be jealous of Harry’s slowly developing friendships with both Percy and Neville. Noticing this, Harry thought it was just as well that Ron didn’t know much about his increasingly complicated association (he didn’t really know how to classify the relationship exactly) with Zabini. Hermione said to him that Ron might be feeling left out, especially as he wasn’t taking any interest in the quest. However, Harry found it hard to sympathise with his friend - Ron had chosen not to get involved in it, after all! He did try to make time for Ron, all the same. They played chess or exploding snap regularly, or went outside for casual flying sessions, but it never seemed enough for the other boy. Harry felt defensive about the changes that he was making in his own life and proud of what he’d achieved so far. He didn’t think that he was doing anything wrong. Having said that, he also really didn’t want to lose Ron’s friendship. 

\-----------------------IIII----------------------- 

Blaise quickly got back to Harry and they met up in an empty classroom the next day after lunch. 

“You look agitated,” Blaise commented. “Something on your mind, I take it?” 

“Yes. Malfoy.” 

“Ah.” Blaise sighed and sat down. 

“Malfoy’s trying to get Hagrid sacked because he was struck by that hippogriff Buckbeak in our first Care of Magical Creatures class. But Malfoy was provoking Buckbeak! I saw him do it. What happened to Malfoy wasn’t the hippogriff’s fault. And now he’s faking an injury to try and make Hagrid lose his job! I thought that Dumbledore would be able to sort it out but we saw Hagrid yesterday and he thinks the Board of Governors are getting ready to sack him any day now. And there could be a Ministry hearing as well. He says Lucius Malfoy’s got involved so that’s probably all true.” 

“And you are telling me all of this why?” 

Harry looked sheepish. “Hermione thought that you might be able to help.” The other boy pulled a face of disgust at this. “I can understand why you wouldn’t want to get involved, but Malfoy’s in Slytherin so maybe he’d listen to you?” 

“He might, but I have no influence with his father and from the sounds of it, Malfoy senior is the one that you have to worry about.” 

“Does that mean you can’t help?” 

“You remember what I said when we started working together? I won’t share any Slytherin secrets and I won’t act against anyone from my House. Those rules still apply.” 

“Okay, but is there anything at all you can do without breaking the rules?” Harry said pleadingly. 

Zabini considered this. “I suppose a little general advice couldn’t hurt. I’ll tell you what I think about the issue, and also what I’d do if I were in your place. If it means I don’t have to see another flobberworm for a while, all the better - those things are disgusting.” 

Harry grinned. “I think Hagrid’s too scared to show us anything livelier than flobberworms in Care of Magical Creatures since what happened with Buckbeak. What would you do then, if you were me?” 

“Firstly, find out how much danger either Hagrid or the hippogriff are actually in. Some of the teachers will know; have a quiet word one of them. Secondly, help Hagrid to learn by his mistakes. That lesson was a complete disaster. If he wants to continue to teach then he needs to rethink his whole approach to working with magical creatures.” 

“But it was Malfoy’s fault!” Harry snapped. “Hagrid told us what not to do. ‘Don’t make the hippogriff angry’, he said – but Malfoy deliberately went and did it! He wanted to ruin the lesson for Hagrid!” 

Zabini sighed. “Right, let’s look at this logically. I’m going to tell you how I see things now and you’re going to listen in complete silence until I’ve finished, clear?” 

“Yeah, okay.” 

“I believe that Hagrid failed in his duty of care towards Malfoy and the rest of the class. I’m willing to concede that Malfoy didn’t follow the instructions for working with the hippogriff that he was given. Perhaps he chose to disobey them, or maybe he didn’t pay enough attention to what Hagrid said. Let’s bear in mind though that when Hagrid gave us those instructions it was after the hippogriffs were in view - so perhaps Malfoy was nervous and that distracted him, so he didn’t take in all that he was told. Don’t forget, Hagrid assigned us a textbook– the _Monster Book of Monsters_ \- that we couldn’t even use because it wanted to _attack_ us whenever we tried to open it. As Hagrid didn’t tell us how to use the book before the lesson started, none of us could do any advance reading on the subject. So then, we were all brought face to face with a dozen fairly terrifying creatures without any notice or prior explanation. Hagrid was the only adult present to supervise, and he’s not allowed to do magic and doesn’t have a wand. If anything went wrong therefore, he’d not have been in a position to cast a spell to help. Does that sound like a good situation to you?” 

Reluctantly, Harry shook his head. 

“Exactly. So, then he put pressure on you to firstly approach and pet the hippogriff and then to ride it, with no saddle or bridle or anything to hold onto. No sticking charm, either. You looked petrified, and you only went along with it out of loyalty to Hagrid, that much was obvious. And if you’d fallen off, who would have saved you? Your only chance would have been if one of the other students could cast _Arresto Momentum_ quickly enough, but even if they did you were too far away for a spell to reach you some of the time. Fortunately you made it safely to ground, but then Hagrid untethered all of the other hippogriffs and soon the whole class was trying to tame them! Remember, these are inexperienced students in their first ever Care of Magical Creatures lesson facing large and powerful creatures who are, to quote Hagrid himself, “easily offended”. In a situation like that, people can sometimes panic. And again, only the one person to supervise and he’s not got a wand. I think there are a dozen safety rules broken right there. Would you agree?” 

A rueful nod of the head from Harry was the only response. 

“Excellent. I think you’re starting to understand the problem now. Every Professor has to ensure that their teaching is as safe as it can possibly be. Hagrid should have prepared us in advance more carefully. He should have told us beforehand how to open our textbooks safely. He should have made sure that he had some wand-carrying assistants to help out; older students would have been fine, if no other Professors were available. He also should have sent you in the air with proper safety measures in place, or perhaps not sending you at all would have been safer. And as for Malfoy, you looked at him and saw a person you dislike trying to disrupt a favourite Professor’s lesson by taunting a hippogriff. I looked at him and saw a scared boy who couldn’t admit how afraid of the hippogriff he felt because he was surrounded by Gryffindors who’d make fun of him for it, so he covered up his fears with a mask of bluster and bravado. Malfoy has a healthy sense of self-preservation and he certainly didn’t want to get hurt by provoking that attack. It was Hagrid’s responsibility to protect Malfoy and he didn’t protect him, and for that there may well be consequences. Okay, you can speak now.” 

Harry sighed. “Thanks. It’s a bit of a shock, the way you’ve described it. I’ve always liked Hagrid and Malfoy’s such a nasty piece of work… but safety is important, and I admit that Hagrid tends not to think enough about that side of things.” 

“True. So, do you agree with my assessment of the situation?” 

“Yeah, I suppose you’re right. I hate that you are, but yes. I mean, when you put it that way…” 

“That’s exactly the way it’ll be put if there’s any kind of hearing or enquiry, I assure you. And let’s not forget Hagrid’s history of prior safety violations. I know all about that illegal dragon, you know.” 

Harry smiled at the memory. “I have no idea what you mean. Tell me how to fix this, then.” 

“There are some actions you can try, though success is by no means guaranteed. You’ll need to make Hagrid understand where he went wrong. Explain it to him, just as I have to you. Then get him to apologise to Malfoy in front of witnesses, and also to send a letter of apology to Malfoy’s father. Make sure someone drafts the letter for him and coaches him on delivering the verbal apology to Malfoy, because he’ll never get it right on this own.” 

“Is that really necessary?” 

“ _Definitely_. All of my housemates think that Hagrid is one of the most vehemently anti-Slytherin members of staff. He always glares at us when he sees us, and in class he never praises our work or gives any of us points. It’s almost the same as your Professor Snape situation, only in reverse.” Blaise paused as if he was waiting for a reaction, but Harry said nothing. He was about to leap to Hagrid’s defence until a memory of his first visit to Diagon Alley came to his mind, when Hagrid had told him that the bad witches and wizards came from Slytherin. Blaise read his expression correctly and smirked at him. “Anyway Potter, the point is that a student was injured during his lesson and if he doesn’t apologise then he’s basically sending out a message that he couldn’t care less about that injury.” 

“Is this like when you said I was showing Professor Snape contempt by not trying to get on his good side in first year?” 

“Yes! Yes! I see you’re finally getting the idea. You know, there are some Slytherins who even think that Hagrid blames Lucius Malfoy for the fact that he was sent to Azkaban during the Chamber of Secrets fiasco last year, and therefore he deliberately allowed Malfoy’s son to be injured by the hippogriff as a way of taking his revenge.” 

“Hagrid would never do something so awful!” Harry said furiously. “I hope they’re not trying to get people to believe that because it’s complete rubbish!” 

“It’s just idle Slytherin common room gossip at the moment. Likely to remain so, I’d say. Relax, Potter; I know Hagrid didn’t do it deliberately \- the man’s negligent, but not homicidal.” 

Harry calmed down somewhat. “I suppose, given what you’ve just explained, that making those apologies is a sensible move.” 

“Glad to hear you say so,” Blaise replied smugly. “As for other suggestions, talk to a Professor as I said before. If there’s a hearing or enquiry of some kind then _don’t_ let Hagrid represent himself or the hippogriff, he’ll just collapse into a blubbering mess. One of the other teachers could be his advocate; Professor Sinistra would be a good choice, or Professor Vector.” 

“I suppose this is what you meant at study group, that night we talked about History of Magic class,” Harry exclaimed. “You said that history can be interpreted in all sorts of ways, and this is an example of that happening. You and I saw the same thing but we made sense of it completely differently. And we were actually there! If there was an enquiry then they’d only have other people’s spoken or written statements to go on, and everyone’s description of what took place would be different.” 

“Which is why a competent advocate is needed to make Hagrid’s case and ensure that the right view of events becomes the official one. Now, it’s also essential for Hagrid to show that he’s learned from his mistakes, so you should help him to introduce a revised syllabus for all of his classes which includes proper safety measures for the more dangerous creatures. No more flobberworms! Find out how Professor Kettleburn used to manage safety controls – oh and also, look into how they teach magical creatures in other magical schools. I expect you could get hold of information about their teaching practices easily enough and pick up some useful tips.” 

Harry groaned. He already had a lot of data on other magical schools, thanks to Percy, but this would still be so much extra work! “Those are all great ideas, but I have no idea how to find the time. With all this Potions stuff and quidditch and extra classes this year I’m really busy already.” 

Blaise smiled condescendingly. “Potter, have you never heard of delegation? Just find a few students who’ll do the work and then all you have to do is oversee their progress. Weasley, for example. He’s not on the quidditch team, he’s not helping with your Professor Snape plan and he barely lifts a quill in class; I imagine he’s got plenty of time to spare.” 

“Actually, that’s not a bad idea,” Harry said, cheering up. “His dad works in the Ministry as well, which could be useful. And maybe if I ask Dean and Seamus too… but what about the fact that Malfoy’s faking that injury and going around pretending his arm still hurts?” 

“As I overheard him openly admit to you in Potions class that he’s doing so, I suppose I can comment on that. Don’t worry about it. It’s a side issue. If Malfoy was seriously hurt then Madam Pomfrey wouldn’t have let him out of the hospital wing, and he certainly wouldn’t be back in lessons. She’ll be able to testify to that if necessary.” 

“That’s a relief. Okay, I’ll speak to Ron and the others about this as soon as I can. By the way, I don’t suppose there’s any chance of making a deal directly with Malfoy of some kind? Is he open to negotiating?” 

“In the usual way yes, but this is beyond a little student trading now – and in any case, you’d be highly unlikely to go along with the terms of any proposal he came up with. The price would be far too high, and probably far too unpleasant as well.” 

“Pity. You know, I still think he was deliberately trying to ruin the lesson.” 

“Even if he was, you won’t get anywhere with a defence that consists of blaming a child for an adult’s mistakes.” 

“I know. Well, thanks very much for the advice.” 

“You’re welcome, Potter.” 

“I am curious, though – why didn’t you just refuse to help me?” 

“I liked the fact that you listened,” Blaise said simply. “And not only listened, but took in what I said, thought about it and eventually accepted it. Most Gryffindors form opinions based on prejudice and a shallow, surface view of events - Hagrid is good and Malfoy is bad, in this case. I rather think you’re one of the few members of your House who might be able to look beyond the seemingly obvious.” 

“Oh. Well, err, thanks.” 

“Rarely has any sincere compliment received a less eloquent response. You forgot ‘umm’, but apart from that, everything was there.” 

“Zabini, there used to be time, not so long ago, when I didn’t know you. I really think I was better off then.” 

“No going back now, Potter,” Blaise said with a mocking smile. “ _Absolutely_ no going back now.” 

\-----------------------IIII----------------------- 


	8. It's on my radar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: All rights to the Harry Potter universe belong to JK Rowling. I don’t own Harry Potter.

_Organise the people involved in the project. Review the progress of the project, the factors of influence, the tools, people and time. Add additional tasks if needed to progress the overarching objective. Celebrate any interim milestones or deliverables._

After parting company with Zabini, Harry lost no time in joining Hermione and Ron in the common room and talking to them both about the Hagrid scenario. He set out as tactfully as he could the many flagrant safety violations which Hagrid’s first lesson had apparently contained, and then explained what needed to be done to try and deal with the outcome of it. Zabini’s name wasn’t mentioned, of course – Harry just said evasively that he’d spoken to other students and this was the result of their discussions. He followed that up with a fervent plea to Ron to create and lead the ‘Help Hagrid Club’. Ron was surprisingly keen, especially about himself being nominated as club leader, although he wanted it to have a cooler name. Harry quickly said that renaming the club could be his first decision as its leader. The hardest part of the discussion was talking Ron into setting up the apologies to the Malfoys, but after ten solid minutes of argument and a lot of lecturing from Hermione, he eventually agreed to it. Surprisingly, the only thing that Ron refused to do was to look for club members from among the Gryffindors; he said the other third-years were already complaining about the extra Potions work and he didn’t like the idea of asking them for something else. However, Hermione assured him that it would be easy enough to find Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs to help out, so it was agreed that he’d approach them first. Harry warned Ron about the necessity of keeping the group’s existence a secret so that Malfoy didn’t find out about them. He then handed Ron a copy of the information about other magical schools that they’d collected – “I’m giving that lot to a Ravenclaw to slog through!”, Ron said immediately – and mentally congratulated himself on successfully mastering the art of delegation. 

\-----------------------IIII----------------------- 

Aware that it was nearly a month since his last discussion with Professor McGonagall, Harry arranged that Wednesday evening to meet with Hermione and Percy for a quest progress review. 

“Right, let’s summarise where we’re at,” Harry said briskly. “Firstly, we’ve had a number of successes so far. The third-year study group is working out really well; you’ve done an excellent job on that, Hermione.” 

“Thank you for saying so, Harry,” she said with a smile. “Though of course, you got the Slytherins involved which was the hardest part.” 

“Well, thanks; I was a bit worried about that side of things but the deals with Neville and Zabini seem to be benefitting everyone. Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick are both supporting our quest, which is reassuring. Also, I’ve practically finished working out what I’ll say when I talk with the Headmaster about Snape. I’ve been studying all of that material about other schools which you brought us, Percy, that’s been really beneficial. And by the way, all of us third-years are working so hard in Potions class that Snape just can’t come to terms with it! He’s been taking points and assigning detentions even more than usual, and with even less justification.” 

“That’s most unfortunate,” Percy said regretfully. “There’s no improvement in the other classes either; I’ve checked in over the past couple of days with students in the other years.” 

“Of course, annoying though that is, it’ll be helpful for when you meet with the Headmaster,” Hermione said cheerfully to Harry. “With all of the evidence we have, I’m sure he will take your proposed changes seriously.” 

“I hope so,” Harry said, and then grinned. “On the personal front, I’ve been an absolute model of good behaviour this last few weeks. Well, mostly anyway. I’ve tried not to break too many rules, certainly none that Snape knows about. My life has been filled with good deeds and hard work. I’ve finished all of my essays without any help, and I can even find my way around the library a bit better! I’ve been polite and respectable and done my very best not to offend any Slytherins, especially Malfoy. That’s been the best bit, actually.” 

“What do you mean, the best bit?” Percy asked. 

“So, you know how you said that I could use Malfoy to practice my anger management techniques on? And that I shouldn’t argue with him because Snape wouldn’t like it? Well, so I started being polite to Malfoy and it turns out he really doesn’t want me to; it’s almost like he used to get a kick out of winding me up, and now he can’t and it drives him mad. The more pleasant and cheerful I am when I talk to him, the grumpier it makes him! I’ve no idea why but it’s pure gold, Percy, watching him fume and knowing there’s nothing he can do about it. Of course, he sometimes does make me angry by the things he says, but as long as I don’t show it then he still ends up losing.” 

“Well in that case I suppose we can count that as a success,” Percy said, with a touch of doubt in his voice. “And how is the anger management working out for you?” 

“Good! Well, I don’t have as much time to work on it as I’d like but I study the books you recommended regularly. The nightly meditation sessions have become a habit now too and they really do help.” 

“You’ve done really well,” Hermione said admiringly. “Do you think Professor Snape approves of all of these developments?” 

“No, probably not, since it’s me – but I think he has noticed the differences. Did I mention to you that he believes I want to be a healer now? Zabini’s told him I’m turning over a new leaf and working harder because I’ll need good Potions OWL and NEWT grades to go into healing as a career.” 

She laughed. “He’s certainly been giving you some interesting advice. Will you keep speaking to him after this is over?” 

“Yeah, definitely. He’s good fun. I like him.” 

“You should both continue with your reaching out to the Slytherins, even when the quest is finished,” Percy remarked. “Your study group is doing something quite commendable in being truly cross-house.” 

Harry looked doubtful. “We’d have to think about that,” he said. “I don’t know that I want to. I mean, Zabini and I are on good terms, and the other Slytherins who’ve shown up to Study club have been okay I guess, but I still hate Malfoy and some of the others are awful as well. If we were to try and take it further… what do you think, Hermione?” 

“Building bridges between Gryffindors and Slytherins would be a commendable goal, but also an awful lot of work for a couple of third-years. I wouldn’t rule it out, but let’s put it on hold for this term at least.” 

“Yes, you’re right,” Harry agreed. “Now, do you both want to hear about my Teaching Charter? I’ve finished drafting it and I’d like your feedback.” 

The next hour was spent debating the contents of the Charter and making amendments in response to suggestions from Percy and Hermione, plus coming up with some killer arguments for Harry to use when he met the Headmaster. After they’d finished, Harry was delighted with the results. All of his basic content was there, but it seemed so much more polished. He was sure that Dumbledore would be impressed with it. 

“I’m really a grateful for this help,” Harry said. “You’re both brilliant! I couldn’t have picked two better people to work with on this quest.” Hermione beamed at him while Percy looked embarrassed, but definitely pleased too. “It’s quite late – shall we finish up now?” 

“Yes, let’s go back to the common room and see how Ron’s getting on with the Help Hagrid Club,” Hermione suggested. 

“I just need to pop to the library before it closes so I’ll see you back there in a while,” Percy said, and they parted company. 

Walking up the stairs towards the common room, Harry and Hermione could hear the rumble of loud voices and laughter from inside. After the door swung open and they walked in, Harry’s first impression was that everyone had been hit by an overdose of Cheering Charms. The whole room was filled with giggling, yelling Gryffindors, all running and laughing and throwing dozens of brightly coloured balls at each other. They were the size of tennis balls and seemed to be everywhere. 

“GET HIM!” 

“Take that! And that!” 

“OW! I’ll get you back for that, idiot!” 

“AMMBUUUUSSSH! 

“Watch out, or—" 

Harry barely had a second to take in the hectic scene before him before a student in front suddenly ducked and a red ball travelling at top speed hit him straight in the face. 

“OW! What’s going on?” 

“Sorry, Harry!” Fred Weasley shouted, not looking noticeably sorry. “I was aiming for Angelina but the sneaky wench evaded me!” 

“This is insane!” Hermione yelled as a yellow ball smacked against her leg and another one hit her in the arm. “Honestly, you and your brother are the limit. OUCH! I’m going to my dorm, hopefully I’ll be safe there!” She ran through the crowd angrily, getting hit several more times on the way. 

“What is this?” Harry said, laughing. “Where did you get these from?” 

“Oh, they’re not ours,” Fred said with a grin. “Easy mistake to make, though. Neville brought them in. They’re charmed to fly past anything breakable but they work just fine on people.” He demonstrated by picking up another ball and lobbing at with deadly precision at Colin Creevey’s head. “Come on Harry, join in!” 

And laughing, Harry did just that. 

After half an hour of total chaos, Harry and Ron were fighting (and losing) a massive sub-battle against Fred and George. The balls were terrifically fast and would bounce off practically everything, even the ceiling. Harry was exhausted and thought he must have at least twenty bruises starting to form on his body, but he didn’t want to stop as this felt like such a terrific way to unwind. Sadly however, the biggest intra-house fight Gryffindor had staged for ages was brought to an abrupt halt by the arrival of an indignant Percy Weasley, who used a _Protego_ shield to protect himself while he summoned all of the balls and conjured a bag to put them in. The students complained loudly at the fact that their fun had come to a sudden and unwelcome end. Percy took no notice and told everyone sharply to stop messing around and clear up after themselves or he’d put the entire House in detention. There were more moans and groans as people melted away and started to return to more normal occupations. 

“And whose are these, as if I need to ask”? Percy said with a pointed look at the twins 

“Not ours,” said George with a smirk, pointing to a somewhat embarrassed Neville. 

“Sorry,” Neville said contritely, taking the bag from Percy. “Honestly, I didn’t actually mean for any of that to happen. I was given them by someone I know; they’re to help with my clumsiness. Apparently, learning to juggle and throw and catch balls is good for hand and eye coordination. Only, when I brought them back to the common room, I dropped a few and, well, it all seemed to escalate from there.” 

Harry grinned at the realisation that Zabini the mentor had obviously struck again. He couldn’t wait to message him later and describe what had just happened. “It was good harmless fun, Percy, and nothing’s been broken. Fred told me the balls were charmed to fly past fragile objects.” 

“Even so Harry, I think I’d discourage that sort of thing in the future,” Percy said huffily. “Someone might have been seriously hurt. Look at Ron!” 

Harry glanced at his friend, who had a bloody nose and the beginnings of a black eye. “Totally worth it,” Ron said cheerfully. 

Percy glared at him. “Well, I certainly don’t want to see a repeat of this incident. Make sure that you keep those balls stored somewhere secure from now on, Neville.” 

“Okay, I will do,” Neville said. “It was fun though, wasn’t it, Harry?” 

“Best fun I’ve had in ages,” Harry agreed. “And for a supposedly clumsy person, that was a pretty decent shot you got in when you hit Ron in the stomach.” 

“I was aiming for his face.” 

“Ah. Well…” 

\-----------------------IIII----------------------- 

The next morning, Harry’s memory of the ‘brilliant ballistic battle’, as Fred and George had named it, helped to still keep him in a good mood. Percy, however, seemed almost downhearted when he came into the common room before breakfast. They didn’t have a chance to speak until later that afternoon, when Percy pulled Harry over to an empty corner of the room with a serious look on his face. 

“Harry, I want to talk to you about what happened last night. I think it’s important that we clear the air.” 

“Look Percy, I know you didn’t approve but it wasn’t my idea,” Harry said defensively. “When Hermione and I got back to the common room, the fight was already going on. I walked in and got hit in the face with a ball practically right away!” 

“It’s not that,” Percy replied, looking harried. “I wanted to apologise to you for stopping it.” 

Harry was very surprised. “What do you mean, apologise?” 

Percy sighed. “It’s just, you were having fun and I ruined it. In retrospect, that makes me feel bad.” 

“You’re Head Boy, Percy. I understand why you intervened. You didn’t ruin anything, honestly.” 

“I did!” Percy said forcefully. “You were enjoying yourself and laughing, and I stopped you. I so rarely see you relax like that nowadays, Harry. You’re so busy with the quest, and I do worry about Sirius Black and what might happen there if you ever—” 

“Forget about Sirius Black,” Harry interrupted firmly. “He’s not an issue. And forget about thinking that you ruined everything last night because it’s not true.” 

“Well, I’m not the only one who thinks so. When I went to my dorm last night, Oliver Wood yelled at me for ages about it. He said it had been great fun throwing those balls around, not as much fun as quidditch of course but great fun all the same, until I’d walked in and messed things up for everyone. He told me that I was a spoilsport and a dictator.” 

“He shouldn’t have said that. Oliver isn’t Head Boy; he doesn’t have your responsibilities. And as for me, I had a great time. Being a seeker helped me to catch the balls but when Ron and I fought the twins, they caught them well too and they really had the advantage throwing them back, with their beater skills. We were getting totally hammered, but as you stopped things before the fight ended, Ron and I are calling it a draw. The twins don’t like that of course, but we’re not paying attention!” 

“So you’re not angry with me”? Percy said hopefully. “Not at all?” 

“I’m really not,” Harry said sincerely. “Though I don’t see why you’re asking just me. I mean, pretty much every Gryffindor was a part of the battle.” 

“I’m asking you because it matters what you thought. You see Harry, I’m not the type of person who can easily be, well… casual or relaxed about things. I’ve always had quite an upright and serious disposition. I thought you might disapprove of the fact that I ended the fight instead of taking part in it.” 

“Why should I disapprove? It wasn’t your sort of thing, that’s all. Hermione didn’t join in either.” 

“She didn’t?” Percy said, his face lightening. “And it really wasn’t a problem for you?” 

Harry grinned. “She took one look at the chaos, yelled at Fred and made a run for her dorm. I didn’t mind, and I don’t mind that you didn’t want to get involved as well.” 

“Thank you,” Percy said, looking much relieved. “In that case, I believe I can now ask you something important. However, if the answer is no then don’t hesitate to tell me and we can forget the whole thing. I do realise that I might be about to make the most tremendous fool of myself.” 

“Okay,” Harry said uncertainly. 

“Harry, since we started this quest, I’ve come to care about you a great deal. I know that you’re not close to your muggle relatives. You don’t have any brothers and sisters, of course. I have a lot of them and really, you wouldn’t have said that I needed any more, but since I’ve got to know you, I’ve been wondering… would you like to be my honorary little brother?” 

Harry gaped. “Really? You mean, like a pretend thing?” 

“Well, technically speaking, yes. Brotherhood doesn’t have to always come from blood links, you know; sometimes it can just be something that we choose to be with each other. But if you’re not interested—" 

“I am!” Harry said, grinning brightly. He felt absolutely, completely _great_. “I really am, Percy. I think that’s a terrific idea. So, we’re brothers now? It’s agreed?” 

“We are,” Percy said happily. “And thank you for saying yes.” 

A sudden, unwelcome thought crossed Harry’s mind. “Do you think Ron will disapprove, though?” 

“You mean, will he be angry at you for building a relationship with me that he already has himself but takes absolutely no interest in?” Percy said, with a twisted smile. “Yes, quite possibly.” 

Harry nodded. “We should find the right time to tell him, then. And in the best way we can.” 

“I’m glad you’re my brother,” Percy said quietly. “I’ll take care of you, I promise. You won’t regret this.” 

“I don’t think I will,” Harry told him affectionately. “In fact, I’m quite sure of it.” 

\-----------------------IIII----------------------- 

Later that evening, Hermione and Harry finally had the chance to catch up with Ron and ask about his work on the Help Hagrid Club. 

“Yeah, it’s going really well. I’ve already changed that stupid club name you picked, Harry,” Ron said, pulling a disgusted face. “I’m calling it the Danger Club instead. Cool name, right?” 

Harry and Hermione looked at each other. Harry was about to laugh until he realised that Ron was being perfectly serious. 

“Well, I suppose so, yes,” Hermione said carefully, “but Ron, why did you choose that particular name?” 

Ron grinned. “Well, it’s obvious. Hagrid’s in danger of losing his job and Buckbeak might in danger of being destroyed, if the Ministry decides he’s out of control. So that’s why the name had to be the Danger Club!” 

Hermione pointedly gave Harry a ‘you need to sort this out’ look. “I see what you mean, Ron,” he said tentatively. “It’s just that if you have that name then it might make people think of danger whenever Hagrid is mentioned. That wouldn’t be good, right? I mean, we’d rather have Hagrid thought of as safe rather than dangerous, don’t you think?” 

Ron’s frowned. “You said when you asked me to do this that I could name the club, so it’s my decision. I think Danger Club is a brilliant name. Hagrid likes it too, just so you know, and I’m not changing it!” 

“Well, we’ve kind of established that Hagrid doesn’t understand what danger really is,” Harry pointed out. “Honestly Ron, I think you should reconsider.” 

Ron crossed his arms and glared at him. “Who’s the leader of this club, you or me?” 

“You are, but—” 

“That’s right, I am. And I’ve chosen the club name and that’s final. So, do you want to hear about what else I’ve been doing to save Hagrid and Buckbeak, or not?” 

Harry decided to let it drop for now. “Okay, fine. What else have you done, then?” 

“Recruited five other club members, for a start,” Ron replied smugly. “The Patil sisters, Ginny, Ernie Macmillan and Justin Finch-Fletchley. I know I said no Gryffindors, but Ginny’s not doing the extra Potions thing and she likes Hagrid so she volunteered. Also, I only asked Padma but she insisted on Parvati joining as well.” 

“Well done!” Hermione said. “That’s good progress, Ron.” 

“Definitely,” Harry agreed. “Nice work.” 

“I thought so, yeah. We had our first club meeting at lunchtime with Hagrid. We talked about all the stuff you want doing. _Nobody_ liked the apology idea,” Ron said, with a dark look at Harry, “but I told Hagrid how important you said it is, so he agreed. Justin and Ernie are working on the wording. Justin said his mother does fundraising for some muggle charity and he’s helped her with writing letters and speeches for it, so that should be okay. We’re going to get Hagrid to apologise to Malfoy at our next Care of Magical Creatures class.” 

“Great, that sounds like a good plan,” Harry said. “Was everyone okay with keeping all of this stuff secret, by the way? You know what Hagrid’s like about telling people things he shouldn’t, and I know that Parvati can be quite talkative. You wouldn’t want Malfoy finding out about your tactics too early.” 

Ron looked defensive. “Well, we didn’t talk a lot about that but I’m sure they’ll be careful. Anyway, the apology thing’s going to happen soon enough.” 

“Malfoy will be horrible about it of course, but that’s only to be expected,” Hermione said. 

“Yeah, too right. Also, Padma’s taken all of that stuff about other magical schools that you gave me and she’ll work with Hagrid to revise the syllabus. She said she’d get some of the other Ravenclaws on it to help with the details and it should take about a week, which isn’t bad. Also, Ginny’s going to write to Dad to tell him all about the club and get him to ask around at the Ministry; hopefully he can find out what Malfoy’s father is up to. Saves me a job, anyway – letters home are so boring to write.” 

“It sounds like you picked a really good team,” Harry commented. He resisted the urge to point out that Ron wouldn’t be so blasé about sending letters to his parents if he didn’t have anyone at home who wanted to hear from him. 

“I know, they’re doing practically everything for me!” Ron crowed. “Even Parvati’s writing to Professor Kettleburn to ask for his help and advice on the best way to run Care of Magical Creatures lessons. The only thing we’re not on top of yet is asking one of the other Professors for their view on whether Hagrid’s job is on the line. The others thought that McGonagall is most likely to know, but that if we ask her about it, she’ll just tell us it’s none of our business.” 

“Then don’t ask her that question, ask something else,” Hermione said. “I’d suggest just telling Professor McGonagall about the club, and about how you’re all trying to support Hagrid. Then you could just casually question her on how successful she thinks you might be, and whether there’s anything else you could try. Make it a bit of a sob story, you know. If you manage the conversation properly then you should be able to get her to tell you something about the situation with Buckbeak, and with Hagrid’s job too.” 

Ron frowned. “Manage the conversation? With McGonagall? Really?” 

“It’s either that or be honest and ask her straight out if Hagrid or the hippogriff are in trouble,” Hermione said with a grin. 

“She’d bite my head off,” Ron grumbled. “Hermione, you wouldn’t care to—” 

“No, I wouldn’t!” 

“Fine, I’ll _manage the conversation_ then. She’ll probably give me detention for impertinence or something. Honestly Harry, the next time you ask me to do something I’m saying no on principle.” 

“So, there’s no danger of you doing anything like this again?” 

Ron sneered at him. “Really Harry, you really don’t know a good name when you hear one!” 

\-----------------------IIII----------------------- 

It was Friday the 16th of October, and the one-month deadline that that Minerva McGonagall had set Severus Snape was now up. Five people woke up earlier than usual that day, each one wrapped up in their own thoughts. 

Snape himself was the first to wake. It was barely 5am when he got out of bed. After a restless night, he knew that he was unlikely to fell asleep again. He put on his dressing gown over his pyjamas and curled up in an armchair by the fire with a cup of green tea. The situation with Professor McGonagall was foremost in his mind. During the last month, she had been regarding him with increasing displeasure. The other Professors had noticed – well, it would have been hard for them not to. He’d offered her a game of chess in the staff common-room a week ago and she’d snapped, “You know very well what I want from you, Severus Snape, and it’s certainly not chess!”, before stomping out of the room. He had refused to explain what the issue was but he knew that his colleagues were all speculating about it. Did Albus know? He wasn’t sure, but if the man didn’t then he’d certainly be finding out soon. Snape respected Professor McGonagall very much but he hadn’t altered his teaching methods as a result of her scolding a month ago. He was rather hoping it would all blow over soon; Albus would intervene, calm things down and she would reluctantly drop the matter. If he _was_ hard on the Gryffindors then it wouldn’t hurt them. And that third-year class did seem to be improving, he had to admit. Snape frowned. He didn’t understand what was happening with the third-year Gryffindors. Potter seemed to be working harder, and for once he was almost behaving like a reasonably good student. If the boy did want good Potions grades to become a healer then perhaps that explained it… but what about all of the others? He shook his head impatiently and sipped his tea. “The Headmaster will resolve matters,” Snape reassured himself. “He’ll know what to do.” 

By 5.20, Neville Longbottom was wide awake. He wasn’t interested in getting up yet, so instead he mused for a while about all of the surprising changes which had happened in his life since the start of term. He was thrilled about his successful Herbology tutorials with the Slytherins. Then there was their new Defence Professor, who’d taught them a lot already. That, of course, led to thoughts of his boggart – but also to Harry’s speech about it to the other third-years, which Neville had been very much moved by. And now he and Harry were going to Potions club too, which was really good, and the study club was fun as well. Neville glanced to the wall by his bed, with the now familiar _‘Believe in yourself, and you’re already half way there!’_ poster stuck to it. He reminded himself of that mantra every morning, just like Blaise had told him to, although he didn’t say it out loud any more after being teased about that by Ron and Seamus. Neville grinned to himself as he thought of Blaise, who had confidence and poise and intelligence and was everything that Neville was not. But Blaise was also helping him to become more of a wizard, showing him so many new things and assisting him to see life in a completely different way. And his new wand! Learning spells was still difficult of course, but now that he had a wand of his own it helped so much. There was a time when Neville had thought he’d never amount to anything, but gradually he was starting to think more positively about things, and he looked forward to every meeting with his new mentor. “Blaise will show me how to become the best wizard I can be,” Neville thought to himself confidently. “He’ll know what to do.” 

Percy Weasley woke at 5.35 and got up immediately, his mind already filled with thoughts of lessons and homework and Head Boy duties. And of course, with thoughts of Harry and his quest. If he happened to wake up early then Percy always put the time to good use with a little extra study in the common room, and this term Harry had been doing the same sometimes. They’d sat together and chatted quietly for a bit while they worked. Percy was surprised by how, in the space of a few short weeks, Harry had stopped being just Ron’s friend and turned into someone that Percy cared about. He felt protective of Harry, in the same way that he did for his younger siblings, except they really didn’t appreciate him trying to help like Harry did. And Percy had found that he very much liked to be appreciated. He’d become fond of Harry. The quest had helped them form a bond, and being honorary brothers now was a wonderful development - but what if the quest ended badly? Would Harry still want to spend time with him then? He wasn’t sure. A more pressing concern, though, was the fact that his own Head of House would be talking to the Headmaster about Professor Snape’s teaching manner soon – maybe even today. Percy wanted that discussion to go well, but he couldn’t help worry about the consequences if it didn’t. At the moment, his own involvement in the quest was a secret. And in any case, he wasn’t breaking any rules. But what would happen when the Professors found out about him working with Harry? What if they disapproved? He was afraid of their reaction. Percy looked down at the Head Boy badge pinned to his robes. He adored that badge. It was a daily reminder that all of the years of good behaviour and diligent study and hard work had paid off. It showed that he really was _someone_ , not just another red head in a jumbled, mismatched crowd of Weasleys. “It’ll be fine,” he whispered to himself. “Professor McGonagall will sort everything out – she’ll know what to do.” 

Draco Malfoy got up at 6.00 and glared across at Crabbe and Goyle, both of whom were sound asleep. The Slytherin third-years had smaller dorms than the two years below, so the room only housed the three of them. As followers went they were acceptable, Draco supposed, but they had so little drive and ambition of their own that he had to do the thinking for all three of them, and most of the talking too. He looked across to his bedside cabinet, where a half-completed letter to his father was sitting. The letter had been there, unfinished, for two days. Usually Draco found it easy to write to his parents but this one was a struggle to complete, because he needed to give his father an update on Potter, and what was he to say? The new third-year study group really was completely innocent? Potter really did want to heal the sick, and he really had developed a sudden love of brewing potions along with it? He and the other Gryffindors really were turning into model students during every Potions lesson, for no obvious reason or reward? Zabini’s sudden decision to start making deals with Potter really was as innocuous as he claimed? This all seemed very unlikely. The trouble was, Potter wasn’t as transparent this term as he used to be. He couldn’t be provoked into foolish actions so easily any more. Draco was worried that his own grip on the Potter situation was loosening. Of course, there was the hippogriff incident and Hagrid – that whole situation was working out entirely to his and his father’s satisfaction. But even so… with a sigh, Draco reached for the parchment. There was no choice but to set out his conflicted thoughts in the letter and seek parental advice. “Father can read a situation better than anyone I’ve ever met,” Draco commented to himself. “He’ll know what to do.” 

Blaise Zabini rolled out of bed at 6.15 and started to get ready. He shared the dorm with Theo Nott, his best friend, who was still asleep. As Blaise sat on his bed and started putting the books he’d need for the day’s lessons into his bag, he was thinking about Harry Potter. An interesting study, was Potter. Blaise liked him. He enjoyed meeting new people and working out how they thought and felt inside. There was a lot more to Potter than initial appearances had suggested. Plenty of Gryffindor-ish qualities in his character, yes, but a healthy dose of sneakiness in there too, and his plans for Potions lesson changes could certainly count as ambitious. He and Potter had a productive working relationship, and were on good terms now that the awkward beginnings had been left behind. It boded well for the future, and perhaps at some point they might even become friends. Blaise thought about Professor Snape for a moment. Despite any failings he might have as a teacher, Blaise knew that Professor Snape was the best Head of House in the school. The man cared about each and every Slytherin and would do anything for them. There were few adults whom Blaise respected, but Professor Snape was one of those few. When Potter had confessed his ambition to improve his experiences in Potions class, Blaise hadn’t seen it as a conflict of loyalties to help him; in fact, just the opposite. It had been essential to understand what Potter’s true intent was. Fortunately, Blaise had learned that that Potter was focussed on reform rather than on revenge. Blaise had considered the matter carefully and decided that letting some degree of reform go ahead was essential for Professor Snape’s own good. He could enjoy watching Gryffindors being mocked in class as much as the next Slytherin, but if Potter ever decided to really fight back then he could easily use his Boy Who Lived fame to make Professor Snape’s life very difficult. This was something that Blaise intended to prevent. “I’ll keep Professor Snape out of trouble despite himself,” Blaise murmured. “I’ll know what to do.” 

\-----------------------IIII----------------------- 

It took less than a day for the existence of Ron’s Danger Club to become publicly known. Most of the school had, in fact, heard all about it by the next morning. Harry, Ron and Hermione discovered this, much to their dismay, when they made their way down to the Great Hall for what should have been a relaxing Saturday morning breakfast. Initially they noticed that people were sniggering and giggling and whispering to each other as they passed by. That was puzzling, and a bit annoying, but nothing they hadn’t experienced before. But then… 

“Hey, Weasley! Is it true, all this I’m hearing about your Danger Club? I mean really, that’s just about the stupidest name I ever heard!” Zacharias Smith said, smirking horribly. Ron went pale, his mouth dropping open. 

“How did you find out about that?” Hermione said sharply. 

“It’s all over the Hufflepuff common room. I don’t know who said about it first. But I just wanted to check it was true. What idiot would set up a club to try and convince people that Hagrid and his pet hippogriff aren’t dangerous and then call it _the Danger club_? Well, this idiot right in front of me, I suppose!” 

“Shut up, Smith!” Ron snarled. “It’s no business of yours.” 

“Look, it’s Ron Weasley!” a passing Ravenclaw first-year called out to her giggling friends. “Danger, danger!” 

“See,” Smith said with a mocking smile, “like I said, everyone knows.” He laughed and walked away. 

“I’m doomed,” Ron said with a hollow groan. “This is me totally done for.” 

“Look, today’s going to be bit of a tricky day but we can get through it,” Harry said, in an attempt to comfort him. “And if it had to get out, at least we know it before walking in to breakfast. That’s better, because you can be mentally prepared for what people will say.” 

“But how did they find out?” Ron said despairingly. “I only named the club yesterday and I didn’t tell anyone else about it.” 

Hermione sighed. “Obviously, they found out because someone talked. It could have been Hagrid, or one of the other club members. Why do you think Harry warned you about secrecy, Ron? How do you think we’ve kept his quest a secret up to now? We’ve made everyone involved understand what was at stake and promise to say nothing. You should have done the same, when you had your club meeting yesterday. And maybe you should also have listened to Harry when he told you to name your club _something else!”_

“Well it’s too late to worry about that now!” he snapped at her. “Everyone knows, and I’m going to be the laughing stock of the school. As soon as I walk in that hall, everyone’s going to laugh. Can you imagine what Malfoy’s going to say? I’ll never hear the end of it!” 

“It’s your own fault!” Hermione said critically. “You were warned and you should have listened!” 

“ENOUGH!” Harry said loudly, causing both of them to stare at him in surprise. “Hermione, I agree with you, but having a go at Ron won’t solve anything. We can’t change what’s happened. What we have to focus on now is how we deal with it, okay?” 

“Okay,” Hermione said, calming down somewhat. “Sorry, Ron.” 

“S’alright. But what are we going to do next?” 

Harry frowned. “Look, all we know at the moment is that people know about the club’s existence and what it’s called. We’ll need to find out how much has leaked about what your plans are, but that’ll become clear enough as soon as we speak to a few more people. Those idiots we saw before were laughing at the club name, not at the idea of you helping Hagrid, so if we come up with a plan for explaining the name away—” 

“What plan, though?” Ron wailed. “I can’t think of anything.” 

“Oy Weasley, watch out when you’re going down those stairs, there might be _danger_!” shouted a passing Hufflepuff. 

“SHUT UP!” Hermione, Ron and Harry yelled in unison. 

“I can’t take much more of this,” Ron said. “Come on both of you, think of something!” 

“We need a cover story,” Harry decided. “Right, so you’re going to tell everyone that this whole thing was just a joke. Fred and George heard about the club and bet you five galleons that you wouldn’t call it the Danger Club. You wanted to win the bet, so you did it.” 

“Fred and George? Why them?” 

“Because it’s the kind of thing they would do, so people will believe it,” Harry said. “Come on, let’s go back to the common room and see if we can find them. We’ll need them to back up your story.” 

For once, luck was on their side. The twins were in the common room, slowly moving towards the door as they chatted to Lee Jordan. 

“Fred, George, Lee – I apologise for interrupting but could we please have a moment of your time?” Harry said. “We’ve got a bit of a problem and we could use your help.” 

“This sounds interesting,” Fred said with a vivid grin. “Tell us all about it.” 

“I’m surprised you haven’t heard already,” Ron said sourly. “Everyone else has.” 

“Why, what are we missing?” Lee asked. 

“I got Ron to set up and lead a club to support Hagrid and Buckbeak the Hippogriff,” Harry explained. “You know how Malfoy got hurt by the hippogriff during Care of Magical Creatures? Well, Hagrid says that Malfoy and his father are trying to make trouble for him – Hagrid could lose his job, or Buckbeak might even be put down. We wanted to help, so I asked Ron to lead a club to which would try and show how safe Hagrid’s classes are, and that Buckbeak isn’t harmful to anyone. So the thing is, I named it the Help Hagrid Club but Ron thought that was too dull so he changed it to the Danger Club.” There was a pause of a second or two while the twins and Lee Jordan burst out laughing. 

“Yeah go on, laugh it up!” Ron said bitterly. “I know it’s a stupid name now, okay?” 

“Well, it is funny,” George said with a smirk. “But why’d you want to tell us? I’d have thought you’d rather we didn’t know for as long as possible.” 

Ron eyed them nervously. “Harry thinks you might help take some of the pressure off.” 

Quickly, Harry explained his idea for pretending that the club name had been just a joke, at Fred and George’s instigation. “The school will believe it, if you back Ron up and say that you did bet him to do it. Maybe you could go along with it as well, Lee, if you were willing to. That way Ron will just look like someone who’s pulled off a really cool practical joke.” 

Fred chuckled. “Interesting idea Harry, but I think old Ronniekins here should face up to the consequences of his own stupid actions, as our dear Mother would say.” 

“And if that means that he’s in _danger_ of being made fun of the whole day, well that’s hardly our problem,” George added cheerfully. “Should be fun to watch. Think the Slytherins might bring it up once or twice, Fred?” 

“Once or twice every five minutes,” Fred said with a snigger. 

“Let’s go,” Ron said, giving the twins a dirty look. “I knew this was a waste of time.” 

“No,” Harry replied stubbornly. “Fred, George – Ron is your brother, so you should help him when he needs it. 

Fred looked at him coolly, his good humour fading. “We don’t take orders from you, Harry.” 

“I’m not ordering you,” he said angrily. “I shouldn’t have to. You should want to help Ron, because he’s your brother and you can do something kind for him. Families stick together, don’t they?” 

George gave him a cold smile. “And how would you know anything about that, Harry?” 

Hermione glared at him. “That’s a _disgusting_ thing to say!” 

“Yeah, that’s what they’re like,” Ron said, sneering. “Let’s go.” 

Harry nodded slowly. “Okay. You were right Ron, this was a waste of time.” They walked away, leaving the twins looking at them expressionlessly while Lee stared at them in surprise. 

“That was horrible,” Hermione said when they returned to the corridor. “I never would have said that Fred and George would act that way. Harry, are you alright?” 

“I’m fine,” Harry said stiffly. He didn’t really feel fine, but it wasn’t something that he wanted to dwell on. “Come on, we have to get this over with. Let’s go to the Great Hall. Ron, you know what Malfoy’s going to be like. Don’t get angry, just ignore him. Everyone else, just tell them you thought it would be a funny joke and people are taking it way too seriously, okay? Act like you really don’t care.” 

“Yeah, I will. Thanks for trying to help, anyway. And I’m sorry I didn’t pay attention to you when you told me to change the name. That was stupid of me.” 

“Don’t worry about that now,” Hermione said as they walked down the stairs. “Just walk into the hall as if you couldn’t care less what anyone thinks. You’re a Gryffindor, don’t forget. And Hagrid and Buckbeak are still looking to you to protect them, so be strong.” 

“I will,” Ron said, looking determined. They reached the doors of the Great Hall, and he stopped for a moment and smiled. “How about we make a bet on how many times we hear the word ‘danger’ today between the three of us?” 

Harry grinned, matching his mood. “Sure. I’ll go for… a hundred.” 

“I’ll say seventy,” Hermione said, her eyes sparkling. 

“I’ll go low – it has to wear off at some point. Fifty-five. Two sickles each, closest to the right number gets the lot?” 

“Okay by me,” Harry agreed, and Hermione nodded her agreement. 

“In that case, let’s go and eat,” Ron said. “I hope there’s plenty left, I’m really hungry!” 

\-----------------------IIII----------------------- 

By the end of the day, Ron and Harry and Hermione were all thoroughly sick of the word ‘danger’. Not only had Malfoy and many of the other students mocked Ron’s choice of club name, but even several of the teachers mentioned it. Snape did so a number of times, with increasing glee. 

Still, the running bet they operated during the course of the day helped the three of them cope with the stress of either being the school joke or being his two best friends. Harry won the bet by a mile, as the final total of danger-based puns which they were subjected to that day was well over a hundred and fifty. (They didn’t have an exact number as even Hermione couldn’t be bothered keeping score by that point). By the end of the day Ron had almost become resigned to the jeering, although Malfoy had been particularly persistent in his attempts at making fun of them. Harry reassured Ron that this was a good thing, though – Malfoy was obviously not taking the club seriously, and it would be to their advantage if he underestimated them. 

After making enquiries, it was established that both Hagrid and Justin had been a little indiscreet about the Danger club’s existence, and had apparently been overheard in the process. On the bright side however, their exact plans were still a secret, and Ron made sure to warn the club members to say nothing to anyone else from now on. He still used the Danger Club name, though he admitted to Harry and Hermione that after having it mouthed at him by every joker in the school, it no longer seemed cool at all. 

From time to time as the long day wore on, Harry thought about George mocking him for not having a family of his own. He tried not to dwell on it too much because it made him feel hurt and angry. Getting that sort of thing from Malfoy was nothing, but having someone he liked say it felt painful. George did apologise the next day and Harry accepted it, because he didn’t want to feud with any member of the Weasley family. Inside though he still felt a bit resentful at both of the twins, a feeling which he tried to overcome but which kept bubbling to the surface every now and then. 

Added to all of this, Harry was tense anyway because it had been a month since he’d complained about Snape to Professor McGonagall, and he wanted to know when she would be speaking to the Headmaster about it. Over the weekend, Harry felt nervous and on edge while he waited for new developments. He kept looking over at Professor McGonagall during meals or if he spotted her in the corridors, but she said nothing to him about it. 

Fortunately, by Monday morning most people had given up taunting them about the club, though as they walked over to their Care of Magical Creatures lesson, Harry was a bit worried that the jokes at their expense might start again once Hagrid apologised to Malfoy. Ron had the same idea, and he also kept worrying that Hagrid might mess up the apology. As Harry thought he probably would as well, he couldn’t find the energy to think of something reassuring to say. 

“Gather round, all of you!” Hagrid said once everyone had arrived. He was looking very nervous. “Now, before we begin today’s lesson, there’s somethin’ I have to say. Mr. Malfoy, a while back you were injured by a hippogriff in one of my lessons. Now, he didn’t mean to hurt yer and he’s really sorry – hippogriffs are fine creatures, just a little flighty sometimes. So I wanted to apologise for you bein’ hurt and to say that I hope you get better soon.” 

Malfoy put on a look of outrage, though Harry could tell that in fact he was absolutely delighted by being given a chance to go on the attack. “Hurt? Hurt? I was seriously injured by that creature! My arm could be permanently damaged!” 

“Well, I ‘ope that’s not the case,” Hagrid said, looking harassed. “Maybe you should go to Madam Pomfrey and ask her to check you over. But anyways, I want everyone in these classes to be nice and safe from now on, and like I say I’m sorry that you were hurt that first time. If yer like, seen as you missed some of the lesson, I could give yer a special personal lesson on hippogriffs, one to one; that’d give you a chance to see how good they can be, if handled properly. What d’you think, are you interested?” 

Malfoy looked both offended and horrified. “I wouldn’t go near one of those vicious monsters again for a million galleons! How dare you suggest it!” 

Hagrid seemed hurt by this. Harry realised with some amusement that a personal hippogriff lesson had been a genuine attempt on Hagrid’s part to offer what he clearly saw as a valuable compensatory gift. He glanced at Ron, who was clearly struggling to prevent himself from yelling at Malfoy. The other students, both Slytherin and Gryffindor, all watched the unfolding scene with deep interest. 

“Buckbeak’s not vicious, he’s just been misunderstood is all,” Hagrid said quickly. “And while I remember, I sent a letter to your dad this morning to say sorry as well. Seemed only proper, like.” 

Malfoy stared at him for a couple of seconds and then suddenly started to laugh. “Oh, this really is hilarious! This saying sorry thing is your idea, isn’t it Weasley? You and your little Danger Club friends. I should have known it. Honestly, you’re pathetic.” 

“It wasn’t my idea,” Ron said, sticking to the one thing which was technically true. “I didn’t think of it, and none of the other members of the Danger Club did either. Hagrid’s just trying to be nice to you Malfoy, and any decent person would realise that and try and meet him half way. So the question is, are you able to do the decent thing?” 

Malfoy laughed again. “I think the decent thing would be for _Professor_ Hagrid to hand in his resignation before someone ends up being killed by one of his ‘misunderstood’ creatures.” 

“Shut up Malfoy!” Ron said sharply. “Anyone can make a mistake, and Hagrid’s trying to make it up to you, can’t you see that?” 

“Oh, so you admit that Hagrid made a mistake in that lesson, do you? Well, that’s very interesting,” Malfoy said with satisfaction, while Ron looked furious at herself for his slip of the tongue. 

“That’s enough,” Hagrid said firmly. “I’ve said what I was plannin’ to say and we’ll get on with the lesson now. Everyone, get yer’ books out.” 

The rest of the lesson went smoothly, though Ron barely stopped glaring at Malfoy for the whole time. Harry, Ron and Hermione stayed on for a few minutes after the other students left to talk to Hagrid, who seemed remarkably philosophical about the whole thing. 

“It’s not like he was ever goin’ to take my apology and accept it like a good person would,” he said. “And it don’t matter anyway. You were right to suggest it Harry - I feel better for having said the words and written the letter, even if Malfoy didn’t take them in the spirit they were meant in, and I expect his dad won’t neither.” 

“I’m sorry for what I said though,” Ron said. “I shouldn’t have told Malfoy that you made a mistake. He’ll only use it against you.” 

“Don’t you worry none about that Ron. You’re doin’ all you can to help me, you and the others, and don’t think I’m not grateful. Anyway, you three had better go back to the castle now.” 

“I’ll see you this afternoon for the next Danger Club meeting,” Ron said. “There’s loads to tell you. We’re going to win this thing; you just wait and see!” Hagrid smiled enthusiastically and waved goodbye to them. 

“ _Are_ we going to win this thing?” Ron asked his friends once they were far enough away not to be heard. 

“I think so,” Harry said. 

“It’ll be difficult,” Hermione replied at exactly the same time. 

Ron smiled faintly. “Harry the hopeful and Hermione the honest.” They laughed. “It’s a lot of responsibility though. Hagrid’s relying on me now. On _me_. Nobody’s ever relied on me for anything before. What if I mess it all up?” 

“You can only try your best,” Hermione said. “And so far, I think you’re doing really well.” 

“She’s right,” Harry agreed. “Have faith in yourself, Ron. Come on, let’s go in or we’ll be next for our next class.” 

\-----------------------IIII----------------------- 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who has read this story or left kudos/comments.


	9. Push the envelope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All rights to the Harry Potter universe belong to JK Rowling. I don’t own Harry Potter.

_If any problems or setbacks occur, look for ways to overcome these; seek outside support if needed. Change the plan if required, and keep the lines of communication open at all times._

That afternoon, Harry’s wait for an update was finally ended after Transfiguration class when Professor McGonagall told him to stay behind at the end of the lesson. She took him along to her office and asked him about his experiences of attending Potions class during the past month. Harry saw her become visibly enraged as he explained that lessons were worse than ever if anything, despite the third-year students’ campaign to do well in Potions and make it easier for Snape to treat them reasonably. Professor McGonagall informed him that she had already arranged to see the Headmaster later that day, and that he would be contacted again about this matter in the near future. It wasn’t until two days later however that Harry received an owl from the Headmaster, inviting him for tea that day and informing him that the current password to his office was ‘After Eights’. 

The day seemed to be endless to Harry, his mind being drawn time and again to what he’d say to Dumbledore. Sometimes he really had to work hard to maintain his concentration in lessons. He wasn’t quite sure why he was so nervous about talking to the Headmaster, given that they’d spoken various times in the past and always got on perfectly well. Perhaps, he thought, it was just because this was so important to him and he really wanted a positive outcome. 

“Ah Harry, good afternoon,” Dumbledore said to him as he walked into the Headmaster’s office. The tea, together with some sandwiches and cakes, was already sitting on his desk. “Do sit down and help yourself to any of the delicious eatables in front of us. Can I pour you a cup?” 

“Yes Sir, thanks.” Harry sipped his tea and nibbled dutifully on a ham sandwich, although he didn’t really want anything. 

“Now, I understand from Professor McGonagall that you have been having a little difficulty of late in Potions class?” 

“Not just me, Sir,” Harry said quickly. “This affects quite a few students. I’m not sure what the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs would say, but a lot of Gryffindors are being treated badly by Professor Snape.” 

“Well, I’m sorry to hear that you feel that way, Harry,” Dumbledore said, and sipped his tea serenely. “Of course, Potions is a difficult subject to learn and not everyone has the ability to master it. There are so many safety considerations.” 

“I understand that Sir, but Professor Snape is really biased against Gryffindors. He takes points all the time and he’s very sarcastic—” 

“Certainly, I would agree that Professor Snape has a very stern demeanour, and perhaps he can be rather firm in his manner towards students at times. He can also be a little biased towards the Slytherins I know, but I suppose this helps the Slytherin students to feel that he’s on their side.” 

Harry felt as if the ground was dropping from under him. “I don’t mind him giving the Slytherins a few extra points here and there, but this is about the way he teaches generally, Sir. He’s really tough on us and he doesn’t explain things properly.” 

“Yes, but you share classes with the Slytherin students and receive the same lessons as they do. Did you know that the pass rate for Potions OWL and NEWT examinations is very high, year on year? I’m sure you can understand that Professor Snape has a great deal of work to do; he teaches a full set of classes, and he is a Head of House with all of the responsibilities that position entails.” 

He put down the sandwich and the cup of tea; he was starting to feel a little sick. “Well, that’s true, but the other three Heads of House don’t treat us badly like he does. This is a really important issue for us Gryffindors, Sir.” 

“And yet Harry, forgive me for mentioning it but… well, you are the only person who is here to complain about Professor Snape.” 

Harry knew then that the whole conversation was going as badly as it possibly could. “I just want us to be treated fairly, Sir. It’s about parity of treatment with the other houses, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.” 

“And what makes you think that such parity of treatment doesn’t exist at the moment, Harry?” Dumbledore asked him with a cheerful smile. 

He was extremely unwilling to confess to the Headmaster about his secret visit to the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff Potions class. “Erm, I’ve talked to some of the other students.” 

“I see.” 

“We third-year Gryffindors have been working as hard as we possibly can in Potions class during the last month. We’ve put in lots of effort and really tried hard, so that we can prove to Professor Snape that we’re willing to learn and do better, but it hasn’t made any difference to his attitude.” 

“Well you know Harry, I would think that Professor Snape would take those improvements into account when marking your work, which is what matters, don’t you think?” 

“I think that’s important, yes Sir, but there are other ways in which Professor Snape could help us more. I had the idea of introducing a Teaching Charter which would set out standards for all of the Professors to follow,” Harry said eagerly. “If that was implemented, any teacher who’s already meeting the standard wouldn’t have any extra work, but Professor Snape and maybe a couple of others would just have to make a few changes to comply with the Charter’s requirements. It’s a really simple document, Headmaster. Can I show it to you now?” 

Dumbledore looked astonished. “A Teaching Charter? Well, that’s an interesting idea of course, but I wouldn’t wish to burden any of my colleagues in that way. An extra layer of formality would quickly become taxing to them.” 

He felt choked up inside, a mixture of unwelcome emotions rolling around within him. “I understand of course, but I’m suggesting the use of a Charter to prevent teachers from not doing their job properly.” 

“If a teacher isn’t doing their job properly then that is my responsibility to address, Harry - there is no need for a Charter as well.” 

Harry felt almost in despair. Clearly, the Headmaster either didn’t understand or didn’t want to understand. “I’m sorry you see it that way, Sir. I was thinking though that the Charter might not need to be used if we could agree some changes to Professor Snape’s teaching style privately.” 

“Well then, I will be frank with you, Harry. Professor Snape is, between us, somewhat of a stubborn man and a little set in his ways. However, if you were ever in danger then there is nobody who could and would do more to protect you. Right now that’s especially important, with Sirius Black presenting a serious threat to the school, and to yourself especially. I need Severus to remain here at Hogwarts, Harry. That is vitally important. He is essential to me in many ways, not least because one day – the day when Lord Voldemort again walks among us – Severus will once more stand with me and be my right hand in the fight against him.” 

Harry’s eyes widened with shock. Of all things, he had not expected Voldemort to be brought into the conversation. “Does Professor McGonagall know about all of this?” 

“Oh yes, indeed she does. Not all of the finer details but everything I have outlined to you just now, certainly.” 

Harry said nothing. He looked at the Headmaster, experiencing an emotion that he’d never before felt in this man’s presence – disappointment. Dumbledore had let him down, and it really, _really_ hurt. 

The Headmaster studied Harry’s expression and interpreted it as dismay at the realisation that he would not be getting what he wanted. To his great relief, there was no sign of anger or rebellion. “I’m sorry that I can’t grant your request, Harry. I hope you understand why, and I beg of you to keep the contents of this conversation private, at least with regards to what I have told you about Professor Snape’s role.” 

“Yes Sir,” he said numbly. 

“Good. Of course, I would be willing to talk to Professor Snape on your behalf, but to explain the problem to him I would have to provide him with specific examples from his classes. However, I understand he has not been told the identity of the student who made the complaint against him. Do you want that to change?” 

“No Sir,” Harry said quickly. 

“Very well. Now, is there anything else that you would like to discuss with me?” 

“No, thank you Sir.” 

Dumbledore smiled at him. “In that case, I apologise again for being unable to assist you. Professor McGonagall asked that you call in and see her after you leave here. I believe she is in her office. She mentioned that it was about your Transfiguration homework, but between ourselves I think she just wants to be sure that you are alright.” 

“Okay,” he said quietly. “Bye, Sir.” 

“Goodbye, Harry.” 

Afterwards, Harry couldn’t quite remember the walk out of the room and down the stairs. He found himself drifting along the fourth floor with no idea what to do next. There were too many emotions at play to be able to translate his thoughts into words just yet. He needed time to process things – but he was supposed to see Professor McGonagall. She would have known the time of his interview and would be waiting for him now. Reluctantly, he made his way to her office and knocked on the door. 

“I see you’ve been told,” Professor McGonagall said grimly. “Sit down Mr. Potter, before you fall down.” 

“Right, thanks.” 

She conjured up a mug and offered it to him. “Drink it.” It was coffee this time, black and hot and sweet. He swallowed it gratefully, and Professor McGonagall said nothing while he did so. 

“I want you to know that I did all I could to convince the Headmaster that he should take action on your complaint, Mr. Potter,” she told him after a few minutes. “You deserve to be treated fairly by Professor Snape, as does every student.” 

“Thank you for trying anyway, Professor.” 

“It was the least I could do, Mr. Potter. The very least.” 

“The Headmaster said things had to stay as they are,” Harry said with dismay. “I suppose that means…” 

“It means that his decision has been made. I imagine the Headmaster would want me to encourage you to accept that and let the matter drop.” 

“And will you, Professor?” 

She looked across at him. “I’m sure that I can’t influence the Headmaster to change his mind, Mr. Potter.” 

“No. I suppose not.” 

“Incidentally, on an entirely unrelated matter – I’ve obtained a copy of that book for you. You remember, the one that you told me a while ago that you’d like to read?” 

Harry had no recollection of asking Professor McGonagall about any book. “Oh, er, thanks.” 

Her lips twitched in amusement as she took a book out of her desk drawer and handed it to him. Harry realised immediately that it was a muggle book. There was a picture on the front of hundreds of people sitting on a road somewhere; they all seemed to be shouting and waving banners or flags. The book was called _Great Peaceful Protest Movements of the Twentieth Century._

Professor McGonagall looked at Harry and smiled mischievously. “I do hope you’ll find that book instructive, Mr. Potter. We can learn so much from the muggle world if we’re willing to, I always think.” 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

Harry felt a little calmer when he left Professor McGonagall’s office, but this had been a difficult experience, all the same. When he returned to the common room it was filled with warmth and conversation and light, and it absolutely did not match his mood. Harry popped up to the dorm and grabbed his cloak and broomstick. It would be dinnertime soon but he wasn’t hungry. What he needed was a little freedom, and a bit of time to himself. Outside the castle, Harry put on his cloak and set off flying around the grounds. He didn’t go to the quidditch pitch - instead he looped around the towers and over the rooftops, swooping above Hagrid’s house, then across the lake and the grassy fields surrounding the school. This was, he supposed, an example of the type of trademark Gryffindor stupidity which Professor Snape would detest, but he didn’t care. It felt good to be outside and alone for a while. When it grew too cold and dark for him to keep going, Harry returned to the castle in a rather calmer frame of mind. He looked into the Great Hall and saw that dinner was still being served. Hermione and Percy – the only other people who’d known about the meeting with the Headmaster – were both there, sitting together and obviously waiting for him. 

“Where have you been, Harry?” Hermione asked anxiously. “Did your talk with the Headmaster go on that long? Did it go well?” 

“It wasn’t good. I don’t want to talk about it tonight, though. I need to forget about it for a while.” 

“Then have something to eat,” Hermione said sensibly. “You must be hungry.” 

“I am,” Harry realised. He started to put food onto his plate. “I’ll tell you both what happened tomorrow; meet me in our usual spot after afternoon classes.” 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

The next day, Harry was messaged by Zabini first thing with a request for a quick meeting. They agreed to get together after lunch. 

“You need to do something about that adoring admirer of yours, Potter,” Zabini told him firmly. 

“I don’t have any adoring admirers,” Harry said, hoping that was true. 

“You certainly do. I’m talking about that second-year boy, Clone Creepy.” 

“You mean Colin Creevey?” 

“I had it right the first time. I know he wants to follow in your footsteps with a second-year study group, but his tactics for recruiting Slytherin members are very different from yours. He keeps barging up to our second-years and nagging them to join, then aiming his stupid camera at them. They’re hardly going to take any interest that way. I should know, I’ve had several complaints.” 

Harry sighed. “I’ll speak to him. Sorry if he’s been giving trouble.” 

Blaise made a casual ‘you are forgiven’ gesture. “There could be a deal to be done. Jacob Vaisey’s falling behind on a number of subjects. He’s in the Junior study group network but he’s still struggling to keep up. A couple of the others could use tuition on certain of their classes as well. You’ll have to get someone else to carry out the negotiations with Vaisey, though. Speak to the lone female Weasley - she might be a good choice.” 

“Okay, will do. Is there anything else you wanted to discuss?” 

“Hmm. I think it’s about time you have that talk I suggested with Professor Snape.” 

Harry groaned. “This again? You know what’ll happen – he’ll just yell at me or take points or hand me a year’s detention, or all three probably.” 

Blaise raised an elegant eyebrow. “Have I not given you entirely correct advice so far?” 

“Yes,” Harry said, pulling a face. “You’re wise and amazing and I humble myself before you.” 

“As you should. You’ve put this off for too long, and you know it. I’d expect a little more daring from a Gryffindor.” 

Harry glared at him. “Well, having been bullied and pushed around and insulted and treated unfairly by Snape for over two years, you’ll have to forgive me if I don’t feel particularly _daring_ at the thought of trying to win him over.” 

“Two years of unfair treatment, you say? Well, then it’s time to stop it, don’t you think? Or at least, time to try. What does it matter if he gives you detention or takes points? Who cares? It’s not like that hasn’t been done before; in fact, you’re probably really used to it.” 

“You can say that again,” Harry admitted. “But how do I explain why I’m going to see him now, rather than two years ago?” 

“If he asks, tell him that you’re trying to grow up. Keep it simple.” 

“Snape is the opposite of simple. But okay, I’ll go and see him.” 

“Today?” 

“As soon as afternoon lessons finish.” 

Zabini nodded, obviously satisfied. “Even if the whole thing goes spectacularly wrong, Professor Snape will still remember that you tried to fix matters afterwards. It’ll keep coming back to his mind as one more new fact about you that doesn’t fit with his preconceptions.” 

“Or he might hate me even more than ever as a result and treat me horribly for the rest of my time at school.” 

“Or yes, there’s that.” 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

Snape will get angry, Harry told himself as he walked slowly towards the Potions Master’s office that afternoon. I have to expect that. He’ll insult me. He’ll insult my father. He won’t take my word for it that I want to change. I need to be prepared for all of that and just allow it to happen. I can’t lose my temper, or this will be for nothing. 

All too soon he arrived at Snape’s office and knocked on the door, hearing a curt _“Enter!”_ as he did so. Which was a pity, since he’d have been far happier with a _“Go away and don’t ever come back!”._

“Potter,” Snape said with a scowl as he walked into the room. He was seated at his desk writing a letter. “What do you want?” 

“I would like to talk to you about a personal matter, Sir, if you can spare a moment.” 

“In case you haven’t noticed, though by now I would have expected even someone of your meagre intelligence to realise it - I am not your Head of House. Any personal matters which concern you should be taken directly to Professor McGonagall.” 

“In normal circumstances that would be true, Sir, but in this case, I think you are the right person to come to.” 

Snape sneered at him. “Then what is this about, Potter?” 

Harry took a deep breath. “I would like to sort things out between us, Professor. Clear the air.” 

“What idiocy is this, Potter? I am a busy man, and if you think—” 

“What I think is that it’s gone on long enough, sir. There being bad feeling between us, I mean. I understand that you dislike me and think the worst of me, but I’m just wondering if there’s something I can do to change that, so that we get on better. I should have done something about it much sooner, I see that now.” 

“Then why didn’t you?” Snape snarled. 

“Because I thought that the way you treat me was a kind of Hogwarts fixture – something that was written into the history of this place, almost, so I couldn’t change it, like… well, like the stairs that move around and go a different way on certain days of the week.” 

Snape stared at him. “Potter, of all the senseless things that I have heard you say, this has no equal. Are you really comparing me to _stairs_ ?” 

“Yeah sorry, that does sound stupid. All I’m trying to say is that I thought there was no chance of our relationship getting any better. And maybe there still isn’t. But Sir, I don’t know if you’ve noticed but these last few weeks, we’ve all tried really hard in Potions class. The third-year Gryffindors, I mean.” 

Snape sneered at him. “What do you want, Potter - the Order of Merlin?” 

He sighed. “No, I was just thinking that lessons could be a bit easier if we all, erm, got along better...” 

“I don’t _get along_ with students, Potter. And especially those who have inherited all of their father’s many character deficiencies.” 

“You’re wrong about that, Professor. I’m Harry Potter, not James Potter. We’re not the same people.” 

“You are no different to him,” Snape growled. “Just as arrogant, as fond of breaking rules—” 

“I do break rules sometimes,” Harry interrupted again, but holding his temper in check firmly. “And I accept the punishments for doing so when they come my way. I’ve got faults and flaws, just like everyone else, but I don’t think I’m arrogant. I’d like to think that I’m not anyway, and I definitely don’t want to be. I’ve asked a couple of people for their opinion about that, just to check that they agreed.” 

“Gryffindors, were they?” Snape asked mockingly. 

“Yes.” 

“Then I hardly think their opinion need be taken into account. Like father, like son – I assure you, the resemblance is more than skin deep!” 

“I know what he was,” Harry said slowly, “and I’m sorry for what he did to you. He’s not here to apologise for his actions, so I think I should do it on his behalf.” 

Snape looked furious. He flung his quill aside with considerable force and jumped up. “You’ve been speaking to Lupin, haven’t you? Getting him to tell you rosy stories from our school days, yes, I can just imagine…” 

Harry was surprised, and it showed clearly on his face. “No sir, I haven’t mentioned you to Professor Lupin at all. I did talk to Professor McGonagall about it, however.” 

“You had no right whatever to do so!” 

Harry resisted the temptation to point out that Snape had told him to take any personal problems to her just moments ago. “I never knew my father, sir. I have no memories of him and I wanted to learn more about what he was like. She and I spoke in confidence, and I won’t be sharing that information with anyone else. I give you my word on that. And honestly sir, I really am very sorry for what my father did to you. He shouldn’t have hurt you. If you want to think of me as arrogant and fame-loving and a reckless, rule breaking show-off then I can’t stop you. But sir, please don’t ever think that I’d be a bully. I’ve been at the receiving end far too often to ever do anything like that.” 

Snape pointed at the door with a shaking hand. He looked as if he could barely contain his anger. “Get out of my office right now, Potter. GO!” 

Harry decided he’d pushed his luck far enough, and didn’t argue. “Thank you for your time, Sir,” he replied quietly, and left the room. 

Once clear of the dungeons, Harry sat down on a nearby bench and replayed the conversation with Snape in his mind. He wondered if Zabini’s advice had been correct or not. Speaking to Snape as he had done might lead to the most highly unpleasant of consequences, naturally. Although on the other hand, there was that interesting reference to Professor Lupin – how did he fit into the picture? Harry decided not to worry about that for now, especially as he wasn’t sure if he dared take the risk of speaking to Lupin about Snape. Overall, it had been a highly hazardous attempt at reconciliation with little chance of success. Still, as he eventually made his way to the Gryffindor common room it felt to Harry as if an invisible burden had been lifted from his shoulders. He felt glad to have spoken up. Snape was a bad teacher and an unpleasant person, that was self-evident. Even so, maybe the man had a right to hear someone say that they were sorry for what James Potter had done. 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

That evening as promised, Harry sat down with Hermione and Percy and repeated as much of the contents of his discussion with Dumbledore as he was allowed to. “So basically, it went really badly,” he told them. “Dumbledore wouldn’t agree to anything I proposed. He didn’t even let me show him the Charter.” 

“That’s awful!” Hermione exclaimed. “And after all the work you did on it too!” 

“Yes, I’m very disappointed,” Percy said. “Did he explain why?” 

“I can’t share with you everything the Headmaster told me,” Harry said. “He made me promise to keep some things a secret. The basic position is though, that he won’t do anything about how Snape teaches because he desperately wants Snape to stay at Hogwarts.” 

“Then surely we’re at an impasse,” Percy said. “I imagine the Headmaster gave you good reasons for his wish to retain Professor Snape’s services?” 

“He gave me his reasons,” Harry confirmed. “Whether they’re good ones is another matter. Or good enough, anyway. I’ve thought about it a lot – most of the night, actually. I couldn’t get to sleep and I just lay there, running the whole meeting through my mind over and over. I had to decide whether to end the quest now or whether to push on.” 

“What did you decide?” Hermione asked. “Surely you’re not ending it! You can’t!” 

Harry ginned. “I’m not. It wasn’t an easy decision to make, in fact I agonised over it. I’ll always respect the Headmaster and look up to him. It’s really hard not to do what’s been asked of me, simply because it’s him who’s done the asking. I’m not sure what I would have decided if I hadn’t spoken to Professor McGonagall right after leaving the Headmaster’s office. You remember, she’s been on our side right from the start. She knows all of the stuff about Snape that Dumbledore explained to me, but she still thinks something should be done about him. It really helped to know that. Well, after we’d talked for a couple of minutes, Professor McGonagall claimed to be changing the subject and told me that she’d got hold of a book that I’d asked to read - but I never asked her for any book, Hermione! And when she showed me the book—” He took it out of his bag with a smile and put it on the table. 

“Oh, Harry!” Hermione said with delight, understanding its significance immediately. “Now I see why you said the quest isn’t finished. Professor McGonagall really must be on our side!” 

“Why do you say that?” Percy said, looking puzzled. “It’s just a book.” 

“It’s a book about _peaceful protests,”_ Harry said with a grin. “Don’t you see? It’s McGonagall’s way of encouraging us to keep going! This book is meant to give us ideas! And for me, it has!” 

Percy was clearly alarmed at this. “Now surely Harry, we wouldn’t be doing anything as extreme as that! Even if Professor McGonagall thinks it’s a good idea then the Headmaster is in charge of the school, and he’s told you that we can’t make any changes. I know you’re disappointed at that, I am myself, but—” 

“Don’t say it!” Hermione told him firmly. “Don’t you dare tell Harry he has to stop his quest. He’s worked too hard and done too much to give up now. And anyway, campaigning to change something that you disagree with is explicitly permitted within the school rules. Haven’t you ever read _Hogwarts: A History?_ There are many past examples of large-scale student protests. All of the Ravenclaws refused to leave their common room for weeks in 1872 because they objected to Spell Creation being removed from the core curriculum. And don’t forget the great Hufflepuff sit-in of 1721!” 

“Oh yes, I know all of that,” Percy said impatiently, “but those types of events are highly disruptive to school activities. I certainly wouldn’t want to spread anarchy and chaos throughout Hogwarts!” 

“Well, don’t worry because I don’t have anything like that in mind,” Harry said with a grin. “I’ve thought it over and come up with a simple plan. Okay, so it’s Friday tomorrow and fortunately the first Hogsmeade weekend of term isn’t for another week, so everyone will be here over the weekend. We’ll hold a Gryffindor students’ meeting in the common room on Saturday night and tell people what we’ve been working on so far. Then we read them the Teaching Charter. That’s the core of all of this, right? Fair treatment for all. We ask the others to join us by supporting the Charter. I’d like anyone who’ll do that to walk with me up to the staff table in the middle of lunch on Sunday. We present the Charter to Dumbledore and read it out when we do, so that the whole school knows about it. It’s just like when a group of muggles go to the Prime Minister’s home at Downing Street in London and present a petition asking for some kind of change to be made to the law. It’ll give this problem the public focus it needs.” 

“What if it doesn’t work?” Hermione asked, her eyes bright with interest. “Do you have a follow-up plan?” 

“Well, there are lots of other ideas in here,” he said, waving the book about. “I think we could move on to more wide-scale protests but I agree with you, Percy, we don’t want to disrupt people’s lives. That’s partly why I chose this approach. It’s simple and dignified. There’ll be no anarchy and chaos; the whole thing will only take a few minutes and then people can go back to their lunch.” 

If anything, Percy seemed even more nervous now. “Harry, I know your heart is in the right place but it’s decades since anyone dared do such a thing. I feel uncomfortable about the idea, very much so. I know that I promised to help you, but this is…” 

Harry felt a dull ache of disappointment, which quickly turned to anger. “If you want to jump ship then go ahead! I won’t stop you!” 

Percy winced. “I… look, will you allow me to borrow this book for twenty-four hours while I think it over? Just wait for a day, please.” 

“Alright,” Harry said sulkily. “I’ll wait another day before making any move.” 

“Thank you,” Percy said stiffly. He stood up, picked up the book and left the room. 

“This is a big thing to ask of him,” Hermione said anxiously. “We’re muggle-raised, Harry. We’ve grown up seeing civil rights actions of all kinds on the news regularly. He’s probably never experienced anything like that. Honestly, witches and wizards live in such a cloistered environment…” Hermione shrugged. “He’ll come round.” 

“Well, maybe. I don’t want to do it without him, that’s all.” 

“You’ve become really close to Percy since the quest started, haven’t you?” 

“Yeah, I have. In fact, recently he asked me if he could be my honorary big brother and I said yes. We haven’t told Ron yet, though we’ll have to soon.” 

Hermione smiled with delight. “You have a brother now, Harry? That’s wonderful! I’m so pleased for you! Then he won’t let you down - I’m certain of it.” 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

Harry barely caught a glimpse of Percy during the next day, so he had little chance of assessing how likely it was that his honorary brother would stand by him during Sunday’s protest. He intended to go through with it no matter what, but it could be a problem if Percy decided to try and prevent him from taking a stand on his own. Harry did his best to put it out of his mind during the day, and he knew that Potions club with Neville would keep him busy for most of the evening. Before going there however, he decided to deal with the issue of Colin Creevey. It was not a discussion that he was looking forward to; Colin’s squeaky eagerness was distinctly grating – and then there was Ginny, who was bound to be awkward around him if he pulled her into the conversation. However, Zabini had suggested he ask Ginny for help and so it made sense to involve her right from the start. Reluctantly, he went up to the second-years in the Great Hall, just towards the end of dinner. Colin was sitting with a couple of Gryffindor boys that Harry didn’t remember the names of, while Ginny was chatting to Fred and George a bit further down the table. 

“Hiya, Harry!” Colin almost shouted as soon as he walked over. Harry winced as he noticed nearby students smirking. “Great to see you!” 

“Hey, Colin. Sorry to interrupt you but I wanted a quick word with you and Ginny. Not here, somewhere quieter and more private,” he said in a low voice. “The common room will do. Can you ask Ginny to meet us there in half an hour, is that okay?” 

“Yes sure, Harry!” Colin said loudly. “We’ll be there!” 

“Thanks,” Harry said hastily, and turned away. As he looked across the room, he caught Zabini’s eye for a moment and tried to look nonchalant as the Slytherin smirked at him. Harry felt like an idiot for even mentioning this here, in the Great Hall. After all, it was obvious from the number of times that Colin came rushing noisily up to him in the hallways each day that he was basically allergic to discretion. 

Harry finished off his Astronomy homework as he waited for Colin and Ginny in the common room. They arrived a few minutes ahead of time. Colin was clearly thrilled to be invited to speak to him for once, while Ginny looked uncomfortable and embarrassed. Harry decided not to press too hard to gain her involvement in the study club negotiations, if she showed no interest at first. 

“Hiya Harry!” Colin said perkily, as if they hadn’t seen each other for weeks. 

“Hi Colin, hi Ginny. Thanks for meeting with me.” 

“No problem!” Colin chirped, while Ginny murmured her agreement. 

“I wanted to talk to you about the second-year study group. The thing is—” 

“It’s going brilliantly Harry, it really is, thanks for asking!” Colin interrupted excitedly. “Professor McGonagall says we can use the same room as you do, except we’ll have it on Wednesday nights. We even get to have the coffee and cakes as well! It’s the first meeting next week, do you want to come along?” 

“Sorry, I have quidditch practice,” Harry said, hiding his relief. 

“Oh, well we could move the meeting to another night—” 

“You already told everyone that it’s going to be Wednesday,” Ginny pointed out. “It’ll confuse them if you change things around now.” 

“Ginny’s right,” Harry said quickly. “Keep it on Wednesday. I wouldn’t have had time to come along anyway – I’m swamped with work this term. I wish you the best of luck with it. Are you going, Ginny?” 

“Yes, I thought I might,” she said, blushing slightly. 

“I’m glad – we third-years have found our group really useful and I’m sure you guys will too. How many people have confirmed they’re attending the first meeting, Colin?” 

“Well, five of the other Gryffindors said they’d be there after I asked a few times, but I’ve had trouble signing people up from the other Houses. There should be a couple at least from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, but I can’t get any Slytherins to agree to come along for some reason. I’ve tried to get them interested but they just keep walking off. And hexing me, sometimes.” 

“Right, yes, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about, as it happens. I’ve been told that the second-year Slytherins are a bit unhappy with your, erm, style of asking. They’ve complained about it. I think you might be being a bit too persistent.” 

Colin looked astonished. “But, but… I have to have Slytherins there. _You_ have, and I want a group that’s just like yours!” 

Harry sighed. “Okay, well you can have Slytherins in your group probably, but you’ll need to go about asking them in a different way. Look, before I explain further you both have to promise not to reveal what I’m about to say to anyone else, alright?” 

Colin nodded enthusiastically. “Sure, Harry! I can keep a secret, don’t you worry!” 

“Me too,” Ginny said. “I won’t tell anyone.” 

“Thanks. Well, the thing is that I had to make an arrangement with the Slytherins to get them to join my study group. One of them wanted some private tuition on a particular subject for themselves and some others this term and I arranged that, and in return they send a few Slytherins to study group each week.” 

Ginny nodded immediately. “That explains things. I was wondering about why the Slytherins were willing to support your idea, Harry. They aren’t too fond of helping Gryffindors usually.” 

Colin’s smile faded gradually, and to Harry’s surprise he almost looked disappointed. “Do you mean that you’re _paying_ the Slytherins to go to your study group?” 

“Paying them? No, it’s nothing like that. The thing is, they have study groups of their own in Slytherin. They didn’t need ours as well, but I wanted them to come, so we struck a deal.” 

“It still sounds like paying,” Colin said obstinately. 

“Well, it’s not,” Harry replied firmly. “It’s a win-win situation where everyone gets what they want and everyone is happy. What could be better?” 

“But what happens when the term ends?” Colin asked. “Will they just stop coming to your group?” 

That was a point which hadn’t occurred to Harry and he made a mental note to raise it with Zabini, though he wasn’t too worried. He was confident that Zabini would help him to resolve the issue, perhaps with a new arrangement of some kind. But why exactly was Colin looking at him as if he’d murdered his best friend or something? 

“Of course not,” Harry said. “That was just an arrangement we made at the beginning, to get things started. And if you want Slytherins in your group then you need to do the same. That’s why you’re here by the way, Ginny. If you’ll both agree to it, then Ginny could perhaps open negotiations with the Slytherins? I’ve been given the name of someone who you can approach - it’s Jacob Vaisey - and I’m told that a deal could be done.” 

Colin stared at Harry, as if seeing him for the first time. “No,” he said with determination. “Thanks Harry but… no. I don’t want any shady deals. That’s not what my group will be about.” 

“It’s not a shady deal, and Harry’s trying to help,” Ginny said impatiently. “I’m willing to talk to the Slytherins. What’s the problem?” 

“I don’t know exactly,” Colin said quietly. “Just, I wanted my group to be exactly like Harry’s but now that I know what that means, I don’t want it any more.” 

Harry was torn between yelling at Colin and apologising to him. He always found Colin annoying, in a small but persistent way – an irritant who had to be endured because he was just endlessly _there_. Even so, it didn’t feel good to hurt his feelings. The way Colin was looking at him, with those pathetic, disillusioned eyes; Harry almost felt ashamed, like he’d done something dirty. But after all, he remembered suddenly, it hadn’t been his idea in the first place… 

“Colin, you should be aware that it was Professor Flitwick who suggested the idea of striking a deal with the Slytherins to me.” 

“It was?” Colin gasped. 

“Yup.” 

“Then – it’s not a bad thing?” 

“I don’t think so, no. We’re still helping each other, which is what the study group is all about. That doesn’t mean you have to do the same, though. You’re the leader of the second-year group, right? So, you get to decide whether it’s the right thing to negotiate with the Slytherins or not.” 

Colin looked across at Ginny, clearly wanting to know what her opinion was. “Harry’s right, this is about whatever feels best to you – but you don’t have to make a decision now, Colin. Why don’t you take a day or two to think about it?” 

“Okay sure, I’ll do that.” 

“Thanks Colin. I’m sorry if I upset you - I didn’t mean to,” Harry said. 

“It’s okay,” Colin said, his voice still a little unsteady. “Thanks for explaining. I’ll see you later, okay?” He waved a vague goodbye to them both and left the common room. 

“I think someone just found out that Father Christmas isn’t real,” Ginny said with a sneaky grin. 

“Ouch! I still feel a bit bad about this. He’ll be okay, won’t he?” 

“Oh, he’s never down for long,” she replied dryly. “Give him a day or two to recover and he’ll be his old self. Unfortunately.” 

Harry couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks for agreeing to talk to the Slytherins, even if Colin won’t go for it. Just be careful around Ron if you do, won’t you? He’s a bit—” 

“Don’t worry, I know how to handle him” Ginny said firmly. “And speaking of my brothers, it looks like one of them wants a word with you.” 

Harry turned around and saw that Percy was hovering awkwardly a few feet away. “Hi, Percy. Looking for me, or is it Ginny you’re after?” 

“Erm, you if you’ve got the time, Harry.” 

“Of course.” He got up. “Thanks again, Ginny, I appreciate the help.” 

“You’re welcome,” she said with a shy smile. “See you later.” 

“Want to go for a walk, Percy?” He nodded and they left the common room. Without discussing it, they automatically made their way to the empty classroom where most of their quest discussions took place. 

“Here’s your book,” Percy said, handing it back. “Thank you for letting me read it.” 

“No problem.” Harry waited, inwardly anxious, as he watched Percy nervously work his way up to saying… 

“I’m in.” 

“Really?” Harry grinned widely. “I was sure you were going to walk away.” 

“I was considering it,” Percy admitted. “Not that I wanted to let you down, of course not. But this is – what’s that muggle saying – oh yes, right outside of my comfort zone.” 

“Then why are you going along with it?” 

“Well, I suppose it was because what I read in this book, really. All of those stories of muggles standing up and being counted, sometimes at great cost to themselves. They risked everything they had, Harry – and here I was hesitating over taking part in a simple school protest. It made me ashamed of my own thoughts, to be honest. I had to decide what was most important – you or, well, other things. It was a question of priorities, don’t you see? Priorities, risk and sacrifice. I was at a crossroads, and the book helped me choose the right path.” 

“Wow,” Harry said in surprise. “That sounds really deep.” 

Percy smiled, a little self-consciously. “Deeper than I’ve ever gone before, certainly. So, am I forgiven?” 

“There’s nothing to forgive,” Harry assured him. “Can we go ahead with it all, then?” 

“Absolutely. I’ll put up a notice in the common room to gather everyone together for a Gryffindor meeting tomorrow evening. There is one thing that I think we have to decide before then, Harry. This is your quest, so you should be the person who leads the Gryffindor delegation and hands over Teaching Charter in the Great Hall on Sunday. However, you’ve been concerned all along that if you were the public voice of this quest then Professor Snape would wrongly assume that this is a personal vendetta on your part. That being so, I would be willing to be the leader on Sunday and deliver the charter instead – but only if you want me to. Of course, we’d explain the true position to the Gryffindors; I have no desire to take any credit for your achievements, Harry. It’s your choice though - what do you think?” 

Harry mulled this over for a minute or two. “I would like to take this on myself but it could be good if the spotlight is on you rather than me. This is all about Snape, even though we’re not going to say that openly, and he thinks a lot more of you than he does of me. But I’ll think about it, and also speak to Hermione before making a decision. Honestly, I can’t wait to see everyone’s faces when we announce this!” 

“It should be interesting,” Percy commented. “Let’s meet with Hermione tomorrow and talk everything through. We can also agree what we’re going to say to the Gryffindors.” 

“Okay,” Harry said cheerfully. 

The meeting between Hermione, Harry and Percy the next morning took nearly three hours and was their longest quest discussion yet. With Hermione’s support, Harry eventually decided that he wanted Percy to lead their protest when they handed over the Charter the next day. He really would have liked to do so himself, but there were two overwhelming arguments in favour of handing that role to Percy - firstly, as Head Boy he had far more authority across the school, and secondly, unlike Harry he wasn’t violently loathed by Snape. Well, he wasn’t violently loathed by Snape _yet_. 

However, before accepting the offer Percy had made to be the one who handed over the Charter, Harry had talked seriously to him about the possible consequences - including potential retaliation from the Slytherins, and a possible worsening of his relations with Snape if all went badly. Though Percy had been visibly daunted by the thought of this, to his credit he had not backed down and was firm in his insistence that he’d do the job. 

Harry had spent a couple of hours the previous evening working out exactly how their presentation of the Teaching Charter should go. He had a plan in his mind, though he confessed to Hermione and Percy that he’d never done anything of the kind before and wasn’t sure it would work. However, both of them were warm in their approval of the concept, which reassured him. Harry did however feel strongly that a practice was needed to be sure that his plan was workable, and this was agreed. The rest of the time was spent working through all of the arrangements. The thought of letting the entire school know about the quest was a scary one – but Harry felt ready for it, all the same. 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 


	10. Defining stakeholder expectations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All rights to the Harry Potter universe belong to JK Rowling. I don’t own Harry Potter.
> 
> A/N: thanks so much to everyone who’s reading this and leaving comments.

_Make certain that the group knows the status of the project at all times; everyone should either be waiting for input from others, working on activities or gathering information. Leadership should be strong and supportive, in order to encourage commitment from the group._

It was 9.30pm on Saturday night and the entire Gryffindor student body was gathered in the common room, waiting expectantly. Percy, Harry and Hermione, who were all extremely nervous and doing their best to hide it, stood up and faced them. 

“Thank you all for assembling here, we won’t keep you long,” Percy said. “Now firstly, everything you are about to hear is strictly confidential and must not be spoken of outside this room, is that clear?” There was a set of half-hearted nods in response, together with the odd “mmm” or “yeah” or “fine”, all of which Percy was clearly dissatisfied with. “I’ll have you know that this is an extremely serious and sensitive matter. No mentioning it to anyone outside the common room at all – IS THAT CLEAR?” 

“Yes!” the Gryffindors all shouted. Several first-years giggled, earning them a best Percy frown. 

“Good. This meeting has been called to ask for your help in correcting an injustice which we Gryffindor students have been enduring for far too long. I’m referring to the unacceptable teaching methods used by some of our Professors, and most especially by Professor Snape.” He paused, and there was a ripple of surprise and uncertainty as the Gryffindors looked around the room and murmured comments to each other. 

“Don’t you just love it?” Fred shouted in delight. “These three are going Snape hunting! Talk about Gryffindor bravery!” There was a wave of laughter, breaking the tension in the room. 

“It’s nothing like that!” Percy said, with a repressive stare. “We don’t want to _hunt_ anyone. What we want to do is raise teaching standards, where needed. Of course, most of our Professors are highly competent teachers already.” 

“Binns isn’t competent,” Kenneth Towler called out. “I’d say he’s as bad as Snape, in his way.” 

“Yes, I would agree,” Percy replied. “And though we are most interested in the issues with Potions class, the actions that we have in mind could help with other classes - and even deal with problems caused by future Professors in years to come.” 

“Yeah, like next year’s Defence professor, and the next year’s, and the one after that!” Katie Bell said, making several people giggle. “But I have to admit, Snape is the worst.” 

“Exactly. And that’s why we want to take action. For several weeks now I have been working with Hermione to support Harry on this issue. Harry, as the leader of this quest and the person whose idea it was, would you like to explain more?” 

Harry nodded; it had been agreed in advance that each of them would take it in turns to deliver the explanations. “Yes, sure. Okay, so early this term I decided to set myself a tough challenge. I wanted to do something important and useful, but also very difficult. Well, what I came up with really does fit the bill!” There were some giggles at this. “Although our planned actions will apply to all classes, I initially was focussed on Potions. What I wanted was for Professor Snape to teach us Potions fairly and not spend all of his time taking points, making fun of us, scaring us and being delighted every time we don’t get a potion right. He’s not a good teacher. He hates Gryffindors and it shows in every lesson he takes. Well, I decided that we shouldn’t put up with it any more. It’s time for change, and in the last few weeks we’ve done several things to try and make that happen.” 

“What things?” Cormac McLaggen said aggressively. “I haven’t seen you lot do anything.” 

“Oh, but _we_ have,” Fred said with a smirk. “Tell him all about it, why don’t you, Harry?” 

“Of course,” Harry grinned. “Firstly, I’d like to thank all of the third-years who agreed to help me out by trying an experiment. Over the past few weeks, we’ve worked twice as hard as usual in Potions and done our absolute best to get everything right and do well. Thanks also to Fred and George who provided advice for anyone who needed it to improve their Potions essays.” 

“It was a pleasure,” George said. “A waste of time as it turned out, but a pleasure anyway.” 

“I know what you mean,” Harry agreed. “A waste of time – yes, that’s one way to describe it. You see, we all put so much extra effort in over the last month and what were the results? Did Snape notice – oh yes, I think so. Did he praise us for our hard work or give us better marks – no, of course not! We put in a month of total commitment to doing better in Potions class and he just punished us all the more!” 

“He’s horrible!” Seamus agreed. “The man gave me a detention two weeks ago for stirring my potion too loudly!” 

“And I lost twenty points last week for dropping my quill on the floor!” Parvati said angrily. 

“He deserves to be sacked!” Colin Creevey yelled, and several students shouted their agreement. 

“I understand your feelings, believe me,” Harry assured them. “And personally, I’d be happy if he left – but I’ve been told that’s not going to happen. You see, one of the other things I did as part of this quest was to make a complaint about Professor Snape to Professor McGonagall. She completely agrees with me that he needs to change the way he teaches, so she referred the issue to the Headmaster. Well, recently I’ve had an interview with him about it. I asked the Headmaster for something to be done about Snape, but he wouldn’t agree. My complaint was rejected.” There was a murmur of dissatisfaction at this. 

“Did Dumbledore think you were lying or something?” Angelina asked. 

“No, it wasn’t that. He gave me some reasons, which I can’t go into here but I don’t see them as valid. And he didn’t say this, but I think he might have thought I was… exaggerating, I suppose. Making out that Snape was worse than he really is, you know. I told the Headmaster that this was a complaint on behalf of all Gryffindors, but he just pointed out that I was the only person complaining, so…” 

“Well, some of us could have come along with you if you’d asked us too!” Lee Jordan said. “I would have, for one!” 

“Thanks Lee, and you’re right of course. Perhaps I should have taken a group of people with me. The thing is though, I was trying to keep it low-key. I wanted to achieve a quiet process of change without dragging the whole school into this. I didn’t want a big fuss, so I asked the Headmaster to do something about it privately. For one thing, Snape’s always hated me and if he found out that I started all of this off then he’d be furious. He’d see it as a personal attack, which it isn’t. As Percy said before, we’re not going to point the finger at Snape, or at Binns, or any other teacher. No, all we want to do is show them the right way to teach. So, we’re going to ask for Hogwarts to adopt a Teaching Charter. It’s a simple and easy to operate set of guidelines for Professors. It’ll protect us from bad teaching practices, and force people like Snape to teach more professionally.” 

“Sounds like a good idea to me,” Fred said with a wide smile. “But what’s in this Teaching Charter, and how will you get Dumbledore to sign up to it?” 

“Okay, so let’s start with the Charter and its contents. Hermione’s going to share those with you.” 

Hermione nodded, looking extremely apprehensive. She unrolled a piece of parchment and began to read it out. 

**_“The Hogwarts Teaching Charter:_**

_Item 1 – Professors should set stretching but fair expectations of their students, and seek to motivate all students to achieve the highest standard of learning that they are capable of._

_Item 2 – Professors should speak to students in a professional manner. They should treat students with dignity and never attempt to humiliate or bully them. All Professors should themselves display the same positive conduct and attitudes as those expected of Hogwarts students._

__

_Item 3 – Professors should communicate clear rules and routines for behaviour in classrooms or other parts of the castle to students. They should also take responsibility for putting appropriate safety procedures in place to protect themselves and the students in their class._

__

_Item 4 – Professors should operate a fair, open and honest approach to disciplinary action which is applied consistently to students in all Houses. This includes actions such as verbal praise or criticism, the awarding and deduction of house points, writing lines and detentions._

_Item 5 – Professors should closely monitor their students’ progress and attainment, developing an understanding of each person’s capability and knowledge of the subject taught. They should provide additional learning opportunities for students who would benefit from further support to improve their performance._

__

_Item 6 – Professors should have considerable knowledge and practical experience of the relevant subject(s) which they teach. They should also educate themselves on any significant new developments in their chosen field._

__

_Item 7 – Professors should plan and teach well-structured and informative lessons. They should use a clear framework for the marking of classwork and homework, so that students understand the requirements for achieving each grade._

_Item 8 – The Headmaster or Headmistress and their Deputy shall be responsible for ensuring that all Professors comply with this Charter. They should arrange additional support or mentoring for any Professor who is having difficulty with achieving the required standards. Any students who believe that a Professor is not adhering to the terms of the Charter may raise this with them, or with their Head of House, or alternately with any other Professor.”_

After Hermione stopped reading there was a short silence, which felt almost endless to Harry, but then Neville started applauding enthusiastically. Within seconds, everyone in the room had joined in. Harry glanced across at Percy and Hermione, and could see that they were as relieved as he was. 

“Thank you for your support,” Hermione said fervently when the applause died way. “I’m glad you like what we’ve come up with. Well, it was Harry’s idea and he wrote the Charter - Percy and I just helped with some of the wording. Now, I want everyone who thinks that this charter is fair and reasonable to put their hand up.” Every hand was instantly raised, with much giggling and excitement. “Brilliant! Now, I want everyone who thinks that Professor Snape’s teaching meets these standards to raise their hand.” Nobody did, and there was even more hilarity. “Our thoughts exactly! We think that of the seven standards which apply to Professors in the Charter, he only fully and completely meets one of them.” 

There was quite a bit of laughter at this. “You’re being too generous to him, Hermione!” Ron shouted. “I vote zero!” 

“If there was a lower score than zero, he’d deserve it!” Alicia Spinnet called out, making everyone giggle. 

“If there was an OWL for teaching, he’d get a T!” Lavender said, earning the loudest laugh of all. 

Harry grinned. “You’re probably right. The standard we think he meets is that he is knowledgeable in the subject he teaches. The rest, he’s failing in. Now, we don’t want special treatment, just fair treatment and good teaching across the board. And my question to you is this, as fellow students and members of the House of the brave – will you work with us to get the Teaching Charter implemented?” 

“YES!” people shouted loudly from all over the room. 

“That’s superb,” Harry said, feeling delighted. He looked at Percy and Hermione, who were both smiling widely. “Well then, let me answer the second question that Fred asked before - how we’ll get Dumbledore to sign up to it. It’s very simple. We’re going walk up to him tomorrow in the Great Hall at lunchtime, and present him with a copy of the Charter and a petition supporting it while everyone can see it happening - and we’ll ask that the Charter be introduced as soon as possible. We want _you_ , each and every one of you, to join us. On my own, I didn’t convince the Headmaster of the need for change – but there’s power in numbers. If we all stand together as one group, then that will make it clear that we all want things to improve, and Dumbledore won’t be able to sweep the issue under the carpet.” 

“We’re with you, Harry!” Neville shouted excitedly, and everyone clapped and shouted their agreement. 

“That’s wonderful! Now, after a lot of thought we’ve decided that as he’s Head Boy, and as Snape doesn’t especially dislike him the way he does me, that it’s better for Percy to be the one to lead the protest and deliver the Charter and petition to the Headmaster. All of us will have a really important role to play as well, though. I’ve planned out exactly how we’ll do this, with advice and support from Percy and Hermione. So I’ll hand back to Percy who’s going to explain to you the arrangements for tomorrow.” 

“Thank you, Harry. Before I go into those, are there any further questions?” 

“Does Professor McGonagall know about this?” Carl Hopkins asked. 

“We decided that it would be better for her if she wasn’t told,” Percy said calmly, causing a ripple of amusement to pass through the room. “That means, you see, that if the Headmaster or the other teachers ask Professor McGonagall about it, she can tell them honestly that she didn’t know what we were planning. However, we are absolutely confident that she will approve, when she finds out.” 

“Is it against the rules?” George asked eagerly. “I wouldn’t mind that myself, but it’s hardly your style, dearest brother of mine.” 

“It’s not against the rules, in fact quite the opposite.” Percy replied. “Student protests are allowed, and historically there are several of them which have led to great changes within the school. There’s a simple procedure in place to confirm their legitimacy. At the start of our planned action, I have to state that I seek the Headmaster’s acknowledgement that we’re making a lawful protest against an injustice. The Headmaster will then immediately reply that he acknowledges our right to lawful protest. Once that’s done then no disciplinary action whatever can be taken against us.” 

“But what if he doesn’t say that?” Neville asked anxiously. 

“In the unlikely event of that happening, then as leader on the day I must take full responsibility for the protest and any consequences will be mine to face alone,” Percy said firmly. “I assure you however that I’m not expecting any difficulty of that type. I’ve checked the relevant regulations and I’m sure that our actions will qualify as lawful. As my brother indicated, I’d hardly be encouraging all of you to break rules!” 

“Do any of the other Houses know anything about it?” Dean said. 

“Absolutely not, and that’s how it must continue. We want to take everyone by surprise tomorrow, and we can’t run the risk of tipping our hand too early. Make sure you all remember that.” 

“This won’t interfere with quidditch, will it?” Oliver Wood asked suspiciously. Quite a few of the other students giggled and he glared back at them in response, as if it was _obvious_ that it was a question which needed to be asked. “I mean, Harry’s our star seeker for a start…” 

“There will be no impact on quidditch,” Percy said, a tolerant expression on his face. Harry supposed he was used to this sort of thing after years of sharing a dorm with Oliver. “As I said, it’s entirely within the rules. Any other questions?” He paused, but nobody else asked anything. “Very well. Firstly, just so that we’re clear – participation is optional, and anyone who doesn’t want to get involved doesn’t have to – but I hope you will all commit to this. Now, Harry has worked out exactly how we’ll be going about it. To get the necessary dramatic effect, he thinks we need to practice delivering the petition when we’re actually in the Great Hall. We can’t do that now because it’s already curfew, and for most of each day there are people going in and out of there anyway. So, the only way to have the hall to ourselves for a rehearsal is to get up early and sneak downstairs as soon as curfew ends tomorrow morning. That being so, I want all of you back here, dressed and ready to go, tomorrow at 5.00am.” 

This caused a massive, universal groan and a wave of protests from the Gryffindors, who were all used to Sunday mornings that were lazy and relaxed. “Quiet down!” Percy yelled. “It’s only the one time! You can lie-in every other Sunday morning. I agree with Harry - we have to do this properly, and that means a rehearsal. Now, I want everyone – and I mean _everyone_ – in bed by 10.15pm, and set your alarm clocks if you’re planning to join us tomorrow in making a stand against oppression. And anyway, you can always go back to bed for a mid-morning nap or something afterwards.” 

“For once, Percy dearest, you’ve come with a relatively bright idea,” Fred told him jauntily. “And since I am your relatively bright relative, I should know. All those in favour of a mid-morning nap tomorrow, raise your hand!” The giggling Gryffindors did so. 

“Yes yes, thank you for your input,” Percy said, looking entirely unimpressed. “Well I think that’s everything. Now, it’s nearly 10pm. Can you all please sign this petition supporting the Charter and then get your stuff together and head for the dorms. We have great work to do tomorrow. If this goes well than we might all end up getting a mention in the next edition of _Hogwarts: A History_!” 

“WHAT?!” Hermione shrieked, causing Percy to drop the petition and making Harry visibly jump, while everyone else started to giggle. “Really? That would be the most amazing thing ever!” 

“Even if my picture gets put on every page and they rename it to _Ron Weasley: A History,_ I’m still never going to read that stupid book!” Ron shouted, generating more laughter. 

“Enough!” Percy yelled. “Petition! Bed! NOW!” 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

Students were usually up late in the Gryffindor common room at weekends but as Percy had insisted, they’d all gone to their dorms by quarter past ten. Harry got changed and settled down but he wasn’t ready to sleep; he was mulling over a moral dilemma. The whole event tomorrow was meant to be a secret that only their House knew. That said, if it went ahead without him giving Zabini any advance warning then that could cause problems between the two of them, and Harry didn’t want that. He liked Zabini and didn’t want to offend him. Eventually he decided to message him and drop a hint about their plans, but not include too much detail. 

**_You there, Zabini?_**

__

_Yes. Just caught me. How are things in Gryffindorland?_

__

**_Funny you should ask. That’s what I’m writing about. We have something big planned for tomorrow, in relation to my Snape project. Can’t give you any details but make sure you’re not late for lunch. We’re going public._ **

**__**

There was a pause of about a minute before Harry got a response. _I’M HEADING OVER._

**_What? Over where?_**

**__**

_OVER TO WHERE YOU ARE. I’M PUTTING ON MY DRESSING GOWN. JUST LOOKING FOR SLIPPERS._

__

**_Thanks for the running commentary, but you can’t show up here! Only Gryffindors are allowed in our common room!_ **

**__**

_I’M STILL HEADING OVER. ON MY WAY._

__

“Oh no,” Harry whispered to himself. “Not good, not good, not good.” He got out of bed, pulled on his own dressing gown and slippers then headed back to the empty common room. The walk from the dungeons would probably take Zabini around five minutes, longer if he didn’t already know where the Gryffindor common room was located. But he’d know, Harry was sure. And it might be less than five minutes, if he ran. He wasn't sure what to do next. One option was to try and intercept Zabini mid-way, but there must be more than one potential route to use and they might miss each other. He could wait on the stairs outside the door and they could talk there, but there was a slim chance that Filch or a prefect might see them during their rounds. In the end, Harry decided that the safest thing was to take a chance and sneak Zabini into the common room. As long as they were quiet it should be okay, and even if someone else came down they’d hear them coming in time to hide. And also, Percy had said that their protest couldn’t be talked about outside the common room, so technically then he’d be following orders. The fact that Percy had implicitly meant to only talk about this to other Gryffindors was something that he’d have to choose to ignore. 

After three minutes of intense thought, Harry went outside and told the Fat Lady that he’d wedge the door open as he was waiting for a guest and he didn’t want them to hear the password. He also begged her not to mention his guest to anyone else. “No business of mine, dear,” she said sleepily. 

Zabini arrived a couple of minutes later, dressed in comfortable purple nightwear and looking unusually worried. “Where can we talk?” 

“Come in,” Harry said in a low voice. “Everyone’s in bed. Make sure you speak quietly and if we hear anyone else come down, we’ll have to hide behind a sofa or something.” 

They sat down on a sofa by the fire. Zabini took a quick, intense look around him, taking in the whole of the common room and its furnishings, before turning his attention to Harry. “I’ll cast a Privacy charm,” he said, and did so quickly. “Now, tell me everything you can.” 

“I can’t say much. It’s a secret. And you certainly can’t say anything to the other Slytherins.” 

“I won’t, I promise. And Potter, if it really was a secret you wouldn’t have told me anything at all.” 

“Well, it totally is a secret and I shouldn’t have said anything, really. Nobody else is meant to know. I just didn’t want you to feel like I’d deliberately left you out of the loop.” 

“And believe me, I appreciate that. I’m grateful, but I need to know more.” 

“You’re really worried about this,” Harry realised. “But why? I’ve never hidden my plans from you. I told you right at the start what I was aiming to achieve.” 

Blaise bit his lip. “I know. I just… I don’t want you to hurt Professor Snape.” 

Harry stared incredulously. “Me hurt Snape? Zabini, in case you haven’t noticed from over two years of horrible Potions lessons, it’s entirely the other way around!” 

“That’s why I’m worried,” Zabini said seriously. “Because maybe there’s more to this than you’ve said. I wouldn’t blame you if there was, but you see - Professor Snape has been a positive presence in my life since I was four years old. My father died young and, in a way, he’s filled a gap.” 

It was really difficult for Harry to imagine Professor Snape as a father-figure, even to someone from Slytherin House. It was just too difficult a concept to grasp. Snape was nothing but menacing, sarcastic and nasty as far as Harry could see. Still, he supposed that even Snape might have his nicer side, although it must be _very_ well hidden. 

“Zabini, how exactly do you think I’m planning to hurt Snape? What even gives you that idea? Are you saying it because that’s what you would do if you were in my place?” 

“That’s certainly what my mother would have done, if I was,” he replied wryly. “She believes in taking direct action when faced with problem situations.” 

“Well, it’s not my thing,” Harry said. “Hurting people, I mean. What we’re doing tomorrow is asking for a set of fair and reasonable teaching standards to be brought in, which will apply to all classes. We won’t target or name any Professor specifically, and though we’re sure Snape will have to improve his teaching methods if these standards are approved, we also think he won’t be the only one.” 

Blaise sighed with relief. “No hurting?” 

“No hurting,” Harry agreed. “Even for people who really do deserve it. Whoever they might be.” 

“Thank you,” Blaise said fervently, and with a wide smile. “I owe you one, Potter.” 

“Call me Harry,” he said, smiling back. “Unless you have an objection to being on first name terms with a Gryffindor, that is.” 

“And I’m Blaise,” he replied, relaxing back onto the sofa. “So, tomorrow lunchtime then? I’ll remember to look properly surprised. You know I won’t be able to openly approve, of course?” 

“Mmm. Do you think any Slytherin in the whole history of recorded time has ever approved of anything that a Gryffindor did?” 

“If they did then they’d certainly never tell anyone. We do have standards to maintain, you know. This is a pleasant common room, by the way. Quite different in décor to mine, though.” 

“I know,” Harry said with an evil grin. 

“You know? And how exactly would that be possible, given that we don’t allow guests from other Houses in?” 

“Well in that case, I can’t know, can I? My mistake,” he said, smiling impudently. 

Blaise regarded him with amusement. “Oh, you are a sneaky one, aren’t you? Well, that’s an interesting puzzle for me to ponder over. I think I like you, Harry. That is a considerable compliment, you should be aware. Come and stay with me next summer for a few weeks at our country house in Italy. It’s beautiful there, and the magical towns nearby are quite fascinating.” 

“Oh wow, thanks very much for the offer and it sounds great, but I don’t think the Headmaster would allow it,” Harry said sadly. 

“Is he your guardian, then? I heard you lived with muggles.” 

“Yeah, I do,” Harry said glumly. “My aunt and uncle, and my cousin. The Headmaster isn’t my guardian, he just... well, he kind of tells me where I can and can’t go for summer holidays.” 

Blaise looked at him shrewdly. Harry could tell he’d picked up on the lack of enthusiasm he had for talking about his relatives. “In that case, I see no reason for the Headmaster to interfere. If he has no legal authority over you then his opinion can be disregarded. I could ask my mother to contact your relatives directly nearer the time to discuss the matter, if you’ll give your permission.” 

Harry’s mind boggled at the idea of Blaise’s mother meeting the Dursleys. “I would, but I don’t think my relatives would agree to let me go.” 

“Well you know, my mother can be quite persuasive. And you’ve lost nothing if they do refuse, so surely it’s worth a try.” 

“I suppose you’re right. Thanks for inviting me, either way,” he said gratefully. Perhaps Dumbledore wouldn’t like it, but Harry had never been abroad and the thought of visiting Italy was extremely tempting. “But could your mother use muggle methods to contact my relatives, though? They don’t understand much about magic.” 

“Of course,” Blaise said with an easy smile. “We’ll settle the details after Christmas. Everything will work out, you’ll see. So, does this mean that we’re officially friends then?” 

“Do you want to be?” 

“You know, I rather think I do.” 

“We will be, then,” Harry decided. He held out his hand and Blaise shook it, looking pleased. “But are we going to tell people we’re friends?” 

“Not for a couple of weeks. I need to put some distance between myself and whatever noxious attempt at reform you’re going to make tomorrow. But after that, why not? I can spin this well enough in Slytherin House. One thing I should mention - you know my family never supported You-Know-Who, don’t you? I wouldn’t want you to think that I’m some kind of Death Eater in training.” 

“That’s reassuring,” Harry said dryly. “But your friend, Nott—” 

“Theo’s father made his choice, many years ago. His son sees things somewhat differently. Theo believes in the old families, the old customs and values, yes – but he also thinks that muggleborns have an important place in our society. They bring new blood in and stop us stagnating. The issue, of course, is that they’re not properly prepared for what they find here.” 

“I certainly wasn’t,” Harry agreed. “I’m not a muggleborn but I live with muggle relatives so it’s basically the same thing. I was eleven years old and getting ready to go to a new muggle school for the next school year, and the next thing I know, all these letters start showing up, which apparently were telling me I was a wizard and asking me to go to some school I’d never heard of. Oh, and then Hagrid arrived and scared my relatives to pieces, then he took me to see Diagon Alley for the first time. That part was nice.” 

Blaise frowned. “What do you mean, letters showed up telling you that you were a wizard? You must have known that already.” 

Harry shook his head. “My muggle relatives knew but they didn’t explain about it to me. I did accidental magic growing up but I didn’t realise that I was a wizard and that there were other people like me. It was a complete surprise to learn that there was this whole other world that I didn’t know anything about. I couldn’t wait to get to Hogwarts though, once I knew.” 

“Well, I think you should have been told about your magical heritage much sooner.” 

“I totally agree,” Harry said fervently. “I missed a lot. Even now, there’s stuff Ron mentions that I haven’t heard of before. Do you have any muggle relatives?” 

Blaise laughed. “Only you would ask a Slytherin that question and expect an honest answer! But no, I really don’t. However, I do know my way around the muggle world very well and I can pass for a muggle if I want to. Muggle society does have its attractions, you know.” 

“What’s your favourite muggle thing?” 

“The culture. Art and music and theatre and opera… all of the entertainments that muggles have. Not television, though - that entirely lacks refinement.” 

“Have you ever been to a zoo? I went once, it was fun until I accidentally vanished the glass on a snake enclosure and the snake escaped. I got into a bit of trouble for that.” 

Blaise looked intrigued. “Did you talk to the snake?” 

“Yup. It told me that when I got to Hogwarts, after a couple of years I’d meet this really annoying Slytherin boy, and I should tell him that Gryffindor is the best House ever and Slytherin is a total dump.” 

“Remind me to teach you how to lie more effectively when I have chance,” Zabini said carelessly. “I’ll be setting myself an easy challenge there - you certainly couldn’t be any worse than you are now.” 

“Hey, I do great at lying!” Harry protested. “I don’t need you to teach me how to be deceitful!” 

“Compared to me, you’re a mere amateur. As is Longbottom, though he’s improving.” 

“You’re good for him, I have to admit. He’s really starting to gain in confidence.” 

“He shows promise. Although in contrast, on the subject of less promising Gryffindors… thank you for reining in Creevey.” 

“No problem. I don’t know if he’ll go for negotiating with the second-year Slytherins, though. I explained how we’d worked it for our group, and he got really upset when he found out that you Slytherins hadn’t chosen to join the group out of the sheer kindness and goodness of your hearts.” 

Blaise chuckled. “So young. So naïve.” 

Harry grinned. “Yeah, I suppose so. By the way, will you be able to still get people to come to the third-year group next term? When Neville finishes the Herbology tuition, I mean.” 

“No problem there,” Blaise said airily. “He’s offered to continue the sessions for next term as well. By the way, did I tell you that I got E grades for my last two Herbology essays?” 

“Really? Well done, you must be making progress.” 

“Hmm, indeed. I still hate Herbology, of course. Neville treats those plants as if they have feelings or something. Personally, I agree with Professor Snape on the subject - he says that plants and magical creatures are both just potions ingredients waiting to happen.” 

Harry laughed. “I bet he’d never dare tell Professor Sprout that! Or Hagrid, for that matter!” 

“Well, we Slytherins do have rather well-developed survival instincts. Anyway, it’s late and I still have to sneak back to my dorm so I’d better be leaving,” Blaise said, standing up. “Good luck for tomorrow.” 

“Thanks,” Harry said with a rueful smile. “I think we’re going to need it.” 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

By five o’clock the next morning, the Gryffindor common room was again full of students. They were tired, yawning, grumpy, bleary-eyed, messy-haired and complaining – but they were there, and that was all that counted to Harry. Even Ron had come along, which was an enormous relief. Harry had been worried that he’d refuse to participate, but he hadn’t dared to ask him about it the night before. 

“It is really morning?” Ron moaned as he walked into the common room and joined him and Hermione. “Honestly, I think it’s still technically last night.” 

“I certainly haven’t been up this early on a Sunday for quite some time,” Hermione said with a yawn. 

“It’ll be worth it,” Harry said. “I’m really glad everyone’s here. Thanks for joining us, Ron. You know, with you being neutral about the quest and all I wasn’t sure if you’d want to come along.” 

“Yes, well – neutrality’s a bit overrated, as it turns out,” Ron said awkwardly. 

Harry stared at him. “Really?” 

“Yeah. It just leads to you sitting it out and doing nothing to help while your friends are out there trying to make a difference. Turns out that doesn’t make a person feel very good about themselves. I think I’ll be a bit more positive from now on.” 

Harry gave him a beaming smile. “Ron, that’s brilliant! Thanks for telling us. You know, I’d have hated it if you weren’t here this morning.” 

“I couldn’t agree more!” Hermione said, giving him a sudden hug. 

“Yeah, okay, less of that!” Ron said, pulling himself away and going red. Hermione giggled. 

Harry looked across at his friend, hesitated for a moment and then decided to take a risk. “Ron, there are two things you need to know. Well no, three things. Firstly, you and Hermione are still my best friends and I’m still Harry the Gryffindor, just like always. Maybe I’m doing some stuff a bit differently now, but that won’t change the things I believe in or how much I value our friendship. Secondly, I’ve recently made friends with Blaise Zabini from Slytherin house who’s been really helpful with this quest and absolutely, totally isn’t a Death Eater, but please don’t tell anyone about us being friends because we’re keeping it a secret for now. And thirdly, Percy and I have been getting on really well recently and he asked me to be his honorary little brother. That’s all.” 

Ron gaped. “ _That’s all_? Honestly Harry, I can’t believe it’s five o’clock on a Sunday morning and you’re throwing shocks like that at me!” 

“I wanted you to know. If you mind then now’s the time to mention it.” 

“Well, Slytherins can’t be trusted, for one thing. And Percy’s more smother than brother. Apart from that, what you said all sounds fine!” 

“Good, I’m glad you approve!” Harry said cheekily, causing Hermione to snort with laughter. 

Ron looked at him, as if he was about to complain or protest – but then he just shrugged and shook his head. “Too tired to bother,” he said. Harry grinned with delight; really, it couldn’t have gone better if he’d planned it that way. 

“Alright everyone, listen up!” Percy shouted. “I want you all to walk quietly down to the Great Hall in groups of three or four students at a time. It’s highly unlikely that you’ll meet anyone, but in case you do, just tell them that you woke up earlier than usual and you wanted an early morning walk. Right, let’s get going!” 

The students made their way out of the common room in small groups, moving as quietly as possible and leaving about twenty seconds between each group. Fortunately, luck was with them; they weren’t spotted and fifteen minutes later, everyone was safely assembled inside the deserted Great Hall. Harry closed the doors behind them. 

“Okay, let me explain what we’re going to do,” Harry said. “At lunchtime today, you all need to stroll in here as if everything is normal, but you’ll need to sit in the place that you’re assigned in a minute. I want seating on both sides of the table to be in height order. So, can you all please choose a side of the table and then arrange yourselves in descending order of height? We’ll go from the tallest person being closest to the staff table, down to the smallest person being closest to the entrance, on each side. So, let’s get in order!” 

Arranging the Gryffindors in descending height order on both sides of their table took nearly fifteen minutes and caused a good deal of hilarity, which an irritable Percy kept telling people off for. Harry was more patient; he went up and down each side of the table several times, moving people around to get them in the correct place for their height. It was clear that nobody else had any idea what they were aiming for here, but Harry could imagine the whole thing clearly in his mind and knew exactly how he wanted it to work out. Finally, they were all in place by order of height, standing by their table and facing each other. 

“Great,” Harry said. “Right, can each of you memorise where you are standing now and who’s next to you and opposite. You need to return to this _exact_ spot and sit there at lunchtime. Now, let’s go over to the door.” Once everyone was back by the entrance, many of them looking at him as if he was a complete idiot, Harry nodded. “Now, the first thing we need to practice is walking in and sitting down in what will look like a random way, but actually puts all of us in the places you were just allocated. If anyone ends up in the wrong position, just casually move across to where you should be. Right, so next I’ll point to people one by one. When I point at you, walk to the table and sit down where your place is.” Harry started to select people, varying it by height so that everyone had to sit down at a different time to those who would be next to them. This didn’t go as well as Harry hoped. There were quite a few mistakes, and various people ended up in the wrong location and had to go round to another part of the table, which looked a bit too obviously unusual. 

“Okay everyone, back to the door,” Harry said. “It wasn’t a bad try but we’ll need to run through it again. I know this may seem like overkill, but we don’t want anyone else in the hall to notice what we’re up to in advance. If one of the Professors gets suspicious and comes over to our table then they might put a halt to the whole thing.” 

The Gryffindors went back to the doorway and they had another run through of the ‘walking in and casually sitting down in a secretly non-random place’ manoeuvre. This time went much more smoothly, but the change arounds when people ended up in the wrong place still looked awkwardly conspicuous. However, after one more attempt they managed to all sit down at their table with just a couple of easily corrected mistakes, and Harry was satisfied with the result. 

“Excellent, that’s really good. Let’s move on to the next stage,” he said. “Everyone needs to arrive on time for lunch at 12.30pm. We’ll begin our protest as soon as the Headmaster and all four Heads of House are present.” 

“You know, I have absolutely no idea what’s going on,” Ron remarked, to a general round of giggles. 

“Well, you’re about to find out,” Harry told him with a grin. “Now Percy, this is where you come in. When you say ‘stand’, everyone needs to stand up and step behind the benches, then turn to face the doors. Now – stand! That’s right, exactly like that. So, this is what we’ll do. We’re going to march in a kind of a U shape. This table is one line of the U. So, everyone will march away from the staff table and towards the door in two parallel columns, following Percy. Next, we’ll do a kind of semi-circular walk at the end to turn us round. Then we start marching up the centre of the hall, still two columns of students side by side, between the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables – that’s the other half of the U shape. Once we get to the staff table, then Percy – you’ll stop in the middle, right in front of the Headmaster. Everyone else needs to keep going, though. The left-hand column, led by you Natalie; you all need to walk behind Percy to the left, get to the end and then stop and turn to face the staff table. The right-hand column, with you in the lead Jason; you all walk behind Percy to the right - and again, walk to the end of the staff table, turn and face them.” 

Natalie and Jason were both first-year students who, by virtue of being the two shortest people in Gryffindor House, now found themselves given the entirely unnerving responsibility of leading out each column of students. Harry could see that they were nervous and spoke to them reassuringly. “Natalie, Jason – don’t be worried, this is going to work really well and I know you’ll do great.” They both relaxed a little at this. “Okay, so we’ll have our first practice march now. Nobody should talk while marching or after arriving at the staff table. As soon as Percy tells us to march, we’ll all turn to begin. When you’re ready, Percy.” 

Percy gave the order and walked towards the door for about six feet before gradually curving around and leading the procession of students back up the room in two columns through the middle tables. He set quite a fast pace. The silence of the large room, broken only by their footsteps, suddenly seemed very solemn and fateful to Harry. A bubbling sense of excitement flowed through him. If all went well, this could really be something _tremendous_. 

However, as it turned out they were not quite at the tremendous stage yet. When Percy was within a short distance from the staff table, he came to a halt as instructed. Natalie led the students on the left-hand side past him, but Jason became confused and suddenly stopped. This made people behind him walk into each other, with much grumbling and complaining. There was even more confusion when Natalie saw that the other column of students wasn’t moving and came to a halt as well. 

“Keep going!” Harry called out. “Jason, to the right!” 

The procession restarted awkwardly, but the two lines of students were now well out of alignment. The two first years walked to their end of the staff table and then stopped, and swung around to face the staff table. Each person following them did the same, although there were gaps in the row of students here and there. More noticeably, there wasn’t enough room for the last six or seven people to stand in line next to Percy, so they were all bunched up behind him. 

Once the moving had stopped, Harry stepped forward after a couple of moments and turned to face everyone. “Okay people, so we had a few issues there but that’s okay – this is what the rehearsal’s for, to fix any problems while nobody can see us, so that we’ll get it just right when it counts.” 

“I’m really sorry about stopping, Harry,” Jason said, looking embarrassed. “I saw Percy stop and then I just automatically did the same.” 

“And then I stopped when Jason did,” Natalie said remorsefully. “I didn’t mean to mess everything up, honestly Harry.” 

“Don’t worry about it!” Harry said reassuringly. “You haven’t messed anything up. This is only our first try. The next time will be much better. Now, we don’t have enough room for everybody in the row at the moment, so can both of you move nearer to the walls? And everyone else follow them. Good, that’s better. The row’s still a bit uneven though, so I’m going to walk along and line everyone up. Hang on a minute.” 

“I feel like I’m about to meet the Queen,” Dean joked. 

“Well, feel free to practice your curtsy,” Harry replied with a grin, making everyone laugh. 

Harry went to the centre of the row and worked his way outwards on each side. He carefully moved people backwards, forwards or sideways until everyone was evenly placed and there was a long, straight row of people stretching from one side of the Great Hall to the other. “That’s much better. Now, all wait there while I look at how this appears from the back.” 

Harry went and stood half way down the Great Hall, in the centre of the room. Yes, it was just as he’d hoped. There was a striking effect caused by them being arranged in decreasing height order on each side; they almost looked like a pair of bird’s wings stretched out. He returned to the front, well pleased. 

“Okay, now this is just right. So everyone, remember just where you’re standing now. This is the precise position where you need to be at lunchtime. Natalie and Jason, you especially have to remember the right place, since you’re in the lead so where you stop affects everyone else.” The two first year students nodded nervously. “Don’t worry! I know you’ll do well.” 

“Did you say we’ll be trying this again?” Hermione asked. 

“Yes, at least once. Probably a couple of times, until we feel like it’s completely right. So, the rising and then dropping height order that we’re in – which I’m sure you were all puzzled by – is sort of symbolic, but also part of the way that we show how closely this has been planned.” 

“Yes,” Percy agreed. “We’re not a group of disorganised students storming up to the Professors, no indeed. Protesting this way, it’s almost an art form. These great occasions bring their own atmosphere with them, you know. Everyone in the room will take notice.” 

“That’s true,” Harry said. “Now, as Percy explained last night, he’ll firstly ask the Headmaster to confirm our right to lawful protest and we’ll get that out of the way. Then Percy will read out the Charter and explain why we want it brought in, and finally hand it and the petition over to the Headmaster. Once that’s done, and after Dumbledore says anything he wants to say, we’ll march back in the same way as we marched here.” 

“So, we can definitely have another practice after this one?” Natalie asked anxiously. 

Harry smiled at her. “Of course. Now everyone, remember, when we do this later on you march without saying anything. If any of the other students speak to you as you pass by, don’t acknowledge it, just keep your eyes to the front and go on. Once you stop, hold position – don’t even turn your head – until Percy gives the order to go back. Don’t look any teacher in the eye; they’ll be seated probably, so look above their heads. Oh, and those on the right-hand side, make _absolutely_ sure you don’t look anywhere near Professor Snape at all. And nobody is to speak, other than Percy. Silence can be a very powerful tool. Okay, do you want to read out your speech, Percy? I’ll pretend to be the Headmaster.” He walked over to face Percy, placing himself at the spot where Dumbledore normally stood. 

“Fine,” Percy said, looking visibly nervous. Harry couldn’t help but wonder how bad he’d be when the real thing happened. “Headmaster Dumbledore – I, Percy Weasley, as leader of this group, do seek your acknowledgement of our right of lawful protest against an injustice.” 

“I, Albus Dumbledore, do acknowledge your right of lawful protest,” Harry said. “And by the way, would you like a lemon drop?” he added mischievously, making the Gryffindors laugh. 

“I think I’ll pass, thank you,” Percy replied dryly. He went on to read the remainder of his speech, before handing the Charter and accompanying petition to Harry. 

“Thanks, Percy,” Harry replied and he passed them back. “That was a really good speech, by the way. Can you slow down the marching a bit, though? About twenty percent slower there and back would be good. Now everyone, it’s time to time to try returning to the table. When Percy says march, all turn to the centre and then follow him back.” 

Harry stepped back in line and Percy gave the command to march. They all swung round to head back down the centre of the hall, with the two columns of students meeting back together in the middle. This went a little more smoothly, although the left-hand line of students lagged behind slightly so the two columns weren’t lined up with each other. However, they successfully completed the reverse of their U-shaped march, this time at a more measured pace, with everyone making it back to the Gryffindor table. 

“That was really good,” Harry said. “I think we learned a lot from the first attempt. Coming back was just the right speed, so thanks Percy. We weren’t totally lined up, though. When we’re marching in two lines, we all need to keep together, so make sure that you stick right next to your opposite number from the other column. Okay, so time for the second practice. Percy, over to you.” 

When the command to march was given, the Gryffindors moved more smoothly this time around. Harry was marching next to Neville, who looked absolutely thrilled at the whole thing. And he wasn’t the only one, Harry thought with a feeling of pleasure. Now that they understood what he was aiming for, the Gryffindors all looked much keener and more invested in the whole occasion. 

In due time, the procession of students made its way more calmly to stand, all in a long row, facing the staff table. Harry stepped out again and smiled at everyone. “See how much better that went the second time!” he said. “Natalie and Jason, you really nailed it – congratulations! And everyone else did well too.” 

“I agree, Harry,” Fred said cheerfully. “Percy, don’t you think we deserve a few hundred points for our spectacular hard work and commitment to the cause of justice?” 

“I don’t think I should say exactly what _you_ deserve Fred, not in front of mixed company,” Percy said dryly. Ron snorted with amusement and quite a few people laughed. 

Fred grinned, unabashed. “Well, it was worth a try.” 

They ran through the speech again, and then the march back to the Gryffindor table. Now that everyone could see what was expected of them, it worked out much better. 

“Now, one more practice I think, just to make sure it’s sunk in – though just the marching, I don’t think we need to do the speech again,” Harry said. They ran through their march again, moving to the front of the Great Hall and then back to their table, without any difficulties. “Wow, excellent. Well, I think we’re ready for the real thing. Any questions?” There were none. “In that case, it’s time to head back to the common room, and thanks everyone, for getting up early – I really appreciate it.” 

“Travel in small groups again,” Percy said. “Remember, if stopped, you all went for an early morning walk! Oh, and one more thing – it’s still over an hour until breakfast is served and I thought you all might be hungry after getting up so early, so I arranged for some food and drink to be delivered to the common room to tide us over. It should be there when we get back.” 

“Really? Food?” Ron said, grinning widely. “Superb idea, Perce! I’m starving!” A determined Ron was first out of the door, the others following soon after. 

Once back in the common room, the Gryffindors made short work of the food and drink. Harry was one of the last back, as he’d pulled Natalie and Jason aside to give them a quick pep talk and some heartfelt thanks and words of praise before leaving the hall. Most of the food had already gone when he arrived, but he was able to grab a glass of pumpkin juice and two slices of buttered toast which was plenty to keep him going until breakfast. There was an air of keyed-up excitement in the room. Nobody went back to bed; they mostly talked about what would happen that lunchtime when they carried out their protest for real. Harry, Neville, Ron and Hermione flopped down in a bunch of comfortable chairs and discussed it too. 

“You know, it’s funny,” Ron said, “but it really felt – I don’t know, powerful. The marching, I mean, when we had it working properly. It was like we were making a big statement or something. Everyone together. All we were doing was walking, but it felt like something more… I don’t know how to describe it. But you guys know what I mean, don’t you? You felt it too, right?” They all nodded solemnly. 

“What gave you the idea, Harry?” Hermione asked. 

“Well, it was partly that book I read recently about peaceful protests, but I was also thinking about something that happened at primary school a few years ago. We were all taken out on a school trip for the day to watch a big military parade in London. Dudley was ill and couldn’t come, though I think he was faking it because he’d been saying the whole thing sounded really boring, and also, he was miraculously better by the time I got back. Anyway, we watched the soldiers marching, and putting a wreath down by a stone statue, and there was a service of remembrance. I was only eight years old and I’m not sure I understood much of it really, but I did kind of feel the power of it. Their silence and their movements, all in a line and all perfectly done, you know. I remember how serious it all was - and being really glad that Dudley wasn’t there, because he’d have said stupid things and sneered and made fun of something important, something that shouldn’t be mocked. So when I was working on this, I wanted to… I don’t know, draw on that memory.” 

“Do you think it’ll work?” Neville said. “I mean, really work? Make everything different, with Professor Snape and all?” 

“I hope so,” Harry said. “For now, though, I just want the marching thing to be okay when we do it for real.” 

“Why shouldn’t it?” Ron asked, nibbling cheerfully on a banana. “We had no trouble before.” 

“Yeah, but nobody else was in the hall then. At lunchtime, it’ll be full. What if one of the Professors tries to stop us? Or just as bad, maybe Malfoy might try to spoil it.” 

“You’re overthinking it, mate. They won’t know what’s coming next, and they’ll be too taken aback and too curious about what’s going on to do anything other than sit and watch.” 

“I think Ron’s right,” Hermione said. “The advantage of surprise really will help. And personally Neville, I think this could be the start of one of the most important teaching transformations of recent times. Just imagine, what if we really do end up in _Hogwarts: A History_!” 

“Then we’ll all be as famous as Harry!” Neville joked, and they giggled. 

“You mean I’ll have to share the limelight for once?” Harry said with pretend reluctance. “Oh, woe is me! My life is awful!” 

“I can just see the headline in the Daily Prophet now,” Ron said, grinning. “ _Brave Gryffindors, led by handsome Ron Weasley, fight for change! Professors perplexed! Students stunned! Dumbledore dumbfounded! Governors Gobsmacked!”_

“That’s a very long headline for one page,” Hermione remarked. “And of course, you’re not leading the protest, Percy is. Nice alliteration, though.” 

“Nice what?” 

“Honestly Ron, didn’t you ever learn any grammar? Oh, never mind, it’s not worth it!” 

“He was too busy being handsome to learn grammar,” Harry said, with a mocking glance at Ron. 

“I’ll have you know I could have done both, if I’d wanted to!” 

Neville grinned. “I think it’s going to be really good,” he declared. “But it’s hours until lunchtime. I don’t know what to fill up the time with, apart from going to breakfast. Well, there was that nap idea of Percy’s but that won’t take the whole morning.” 

“We could go find an empty classroom and practice duelling,” Harry suggested. “It’ll take our mind off things. After breakfast?” 

“Sure, that would be fine.” 

“Duelling? What for?” Ron asked. 

“Neville and I have had a few duelling contests with Zabini and Nott recently. Each time so far, we’ve been completely massacred. We plan to ask them for a rematch soon and a little practice wouldn’t hurt.” 

“You’re duelling with Slytherins now, Harry? Really?” 

“Yes, really,” Harry said cheerfully. “We’ve all spent the last two years assuming that every Slytherin is as repulsive as Malfoy, but it turns out that’s not the case. It’s like assuming all of us are the same, when we’re all really different in character. Some of them are horrible, like Malfoy, but not all of them. The duelling’s been really good and Nott and Zabini are okay, when you get to know them. Nott’s father might well be an evil, pure-blood, murdering Death Eater lunatic, but on the bright side Nott himself seems fine, and I like Zabini.” 

“Blaise is really helpful,” Neville confirmed. “You’d like him as well, Ron, if you knew him.” 

“I totally doubt it, Neville. And honestly, duelling with Slytherins…” Ron pulled a revolted face. 

“You mean, like when we agreed to meet Malfoy for that duel at midnight in first year?” Harry said teasingly. “You were keen enough on the idea then. And at least this time, the Slytherins actually show up...” 

Ron sighed. “Life makes no sense _at all_ these days. Anyway, is there any food left? It’s ages till breakfast!” 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

As it happened, the idea of duelling was postponed until another time; Hermione sagely pointed out over breakfast that if they were injured and ended up in the hospital wing then they might not be able to go to the Great Hall for lunch. The four of them settled instead for a trip to the library to combine some work on their History of Magic homework with a search for books about effective duelling spells. Both Harry and Neville were determined to improve enough to present Nott and Zabini with at least a half-decent challenge as soon as they could. Ron and Hermione didn’t want to get involved with that, but they liked Neville’s suggestion of practicing duelling just between themselves and agreed to join some Gryffindor-only sessions. 

The common room was nearly empty when they returned to it at 11.30. Percy, who was busy casting the _Geminio_ charm to make extra copies of the Teaching Charter, told them with a grin that most people had embraced the mid-morning nap concept with gusto and were currently snoring away in their dorms. 

“I hope they remembered to set their alarms again!” Hermione said with concern. 

“Don’t worry, I reminded them. In any case, I’ll be checking the male dorms just at around a quarter past twelve and Eleanor will be doing the same for the girls’ ones.” 

“Why are you making more copies of the Charter, Percy?” Ron asked. 

“Ah, this was Harry’s idea. I’m going to put them in my bookbag when we go to lunch, and then distribute them to students and staff after we’ve handed the first copy over to the Headmaster. That way, it’ll help keep the issue front and centre in everyone’s minds.” 

“Why don’t you create petitions for the other students to sign as well, then?” Ron suggested. “If they backed us up then it would give the Charter even more support. Of course, probably the Slytherins won’t sign but imagine if we got the majority of the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs! We’d have most of the school on our side then!” 

“That’s a clever thought,” Harry said, pleased at seeing Ron get involved in quest planning for the first time. “I’ll get those ready.” 

“Can I do that for you?” Ron said, looking a little embarrassed. “I haven’t done anything much to help with this so far.” 

Harry grinned at him. “Of course, there’s spare parchment in my bag, help yourself. Oh, and Ron – welcome to the quest.” 

“Thanks,” Ron said with a grin. “Should have joined ages ago really, but better late than never.” 

“Yeah, much better.” 

“Still an hour to wait,” Neville said. “I’m so nervous. I keep imagining all the ways this could go wrong.” 

“And I keep saying it won’t,” Hermione said firmly. “Now, what can we do for the next hour that’s productive, educational and useful?” 

Harry considered this. “Exploding snap?” 

“Well, I’m too nervous to study so I suppose it’s as good a way as any to take our mind off things,” she conceded. “I’d better win, though!” 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

****


	11. All hands on deck

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All rights to the Harry Potter universe belong to JK Rowling. I don’t own Harry Potter.
> 
> Thanks to everyone who's reading this story, and for all the comments and kudos.

_An integral part of any project is the management of risk._

****

Lunchtime finally arrived, and Harry was a twisted wreck of nerves. Percy was in much the same state; he was very pale, and kept muttering his speech to himself feverishly. The common room rapidly emptied of students, all trying to look casual and relaxed and really _not_ part of a major conspiracy. 

“I don’t know how people _ever_ commit crimes,” Ron said. “I mean, we’re not even doing anything wrong, and I still feel so guilty that I’m sure everyone for miles will notice!” 

“I know,” Hermione agreed. “I keep trying to remember how I normally look when I go to the Great Hall and then I could try to look just like that, but I can’t. I’m sure that I’ll appear too tense, or too preoccupied, and I just hope nobody from another House stops me to talk on the way because they’re sure to notice something’s amiss. Well, come on, we’d better get on with it.” 

“Harry, a moment,” Percy said as they were about to head out. “Whatever happens, you need to stick to the plan – is that clear?” 

“Yes, but – what do you mean, whatever happens?” Harry asked. 

“Oh, nothing specific; I just wanted to give you a reminder,” Percy said quickly. “Off you go now. I’ll be down shortly.” Harry nodded, and left with Ron, Neville and Hermione. 

“That was weird,” Ron said as they walked down to the Great Hall. “Oh, but of course, I expect Percy’s practicing his brotherly love on you. Did you tell Neville about that, by the way?” 

“Oh no, sorry Neville - most people haven’t heard yet. Percy’s now my honorary big brother.” 

“That’s really cool, Harry,” Neville said sincerely. “Congratulations.” 

“Thanks, Neville.” 

“He’ll regret it sooner or later,” Ron said, speaking with the voice of experience. “It’ll be ‘Harry, have you done your homework?’ or ‘Harry, you need to take more OWLs!’ or ‘Harry, why is your trunk so untidy?’ all the time, until he gets fed up and stops the whole thing.” 

“It won’t be like that,” Harry said tolerantly. “And by the way, Ron – have you done your homework? And are you going to take more OWLs, and why is your trunk so untidy?” 

“Idiot!” Ron said, while the others giggled. Harry grinned, glad to have his friendship with Ron back to normal. 

They walked into the Great Hall, which was already looking fairly full. The Headmaster had just arrived, and Professors Snape, McGonagall and Flitwick were all there too. Each of the students strolled to their appointed place at the Gryffindor table with a reasonably well-faked air of relaxation and innocence. Mind you, Harry couldn’t help but think that things would look strange if anyone from the other tables was properly taking notice, because a lot of people weren’t sitting next to their friends. Since he, Ron and Hermione were all slightly different heights, they weren’t either - there were a number of other students between each of them. However, nobody at the other tables seemed to be looking across so he hoped they were getting away with it. Harry pretended to drink some pumpkin juice, although in reality he was too anxious to consume a thing. 

Five minutes later, and everyone at the Gryffindor table was twitchy and desperate to make a start. Food had been served and the other tables were tucking in, but they were waiting for Professor Sprout to show up before they could begin. Fortunately, she arrived with Professor Sinistra two minutes later, which meant that all members of staff and most of the students were present. It was time. 

Harry gave Percy a nod, and Percy stood up at the end of the table. He had the Charter and the petition in his hands. “Stand,” he instructed. The entire Gryffindor contingent rose as one and stepped behind the benches. He gave the order to march, then turned his back and started to lead the Gryffindors out. 

The rest of the school immediately realised that something unusual was happening and stopped eating. There were whispers, which turned into rapid conversations, as the other students tried to work out what was going on. Many of them called out questions but the Gryffindors followed orders and didn’t respond. Soon they were all marching down the centre of the room between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables with a rising storm of speculation and gossip surrounding them. Even more smoothly than they’d practiced it, the two lines of students walked calmly towards the front of the hall. None of the Professors stepped in or challenged them, though Harry could see some of them turning to each other in urgent conversation. 

As they drew closer to the staff table, the students from other Houses quietened down, clearly not wanting to miss what might happen next. Percy stopped in front of the Headmaster and everyone else flowed smoothly behind him to the left and right. None of the Gryffindors messed it up – everyone walked calmly and silently to their place. They didn’t speak. They didn’t look anywhere except straight ahead. They acted almost as one being. Soon everyone was in position, lined up in a long row facing the staff table. The room fell into silence as everyone watched and waited. All Harry could hear was the rapid beating of his own heart. After some thought, they had decided that Percy should not use the _Sonorous_ Charm to amplify his voice; it turned out this was the correct decision, as in the deep silence he could be clearly heard across the hall. 

“Headmaster Dumbledore - I, Percy Weasley, as leader of this group, do seek your acknowledgement of our right of lawful protest against an injustice,” he said forcefully. 

Harry, along with the rest of the Gryffindors, waited for Dumbledore’s promised acknowledgement of their right to protest – but it didn’t come. He started to panic as the seconds passed; he counted them; one, two, three, four, five… and still, the Headmaster remained silent. Harry didn’t know what to do next. He was too far along the row to see the Headmaster without turning his head, which he didn’t dare to do. Harry was furious with himself for not thinking more about what would happen if their protest was not declared lawful. Why hadn’t he asked Percy, or Hermione? Why hadn’t he led this protest himself? Percy had said at the Gryffindor meeting that as leader, any disciplinary action would be applied to him alone – and he hadn’t even asked Percy what that could mean in practice! But Percy had known it might lead to this, Harry realised with a jolt of shock. This was what Percy had meant by _whatever happens._

After about ten seconds, Percy clearly decided that no acknowledgement was coming, but he pressed on regardless. “We students of Gryffindor House do most greatly value the teaching that we receive here at Hogwarts. We consider most of our Professors to be competent and effective at their jobs. However, there are exceptions.” There was a slight ripple of sound across the Hall at this point, quickly stopping as Percy continued. “We believe that a greater degree of protection against poor teaching standards is needed. We do not seek to add to the workload of our Professors, and for many of them our proposal will lead to no change. However, we are concerned that there are Professors who fall below an acceptable level in their teaching, and such may be the case in the future as well. Therefore, to ensure that every Hogwarts Professor teaches to a good standard, we have developed a simple Hogwarts Teaching charter and we are asking for this to be implemented. I will now read out the Charter.” 

Percy unrolled the Charter with hands which were badly shaking and held it up in front of him. He read out the eight measures which it comprised, as everyone in the hall listened intently. 

“Headmaster Dumbledore, Professors and students of Hogwarts, please be assured that this proposal is submitted with the utmost respect, and with a wish to help maintain and improve the standards of this fine school. Headmaster, I will give to you in a moment a copy of our proposed Charter and a petition signed by every Gryffindor student supporting it. Before I do, there is one more matter to mention.” Harry frowned in puzzlement as he listened; that should have been the end of Percy’s speech. “Headmaster, as you have not acknowledged this protest as lawful then I know that disciplinary action will be taken against me as its leader. I expect that such action will involve my removal from the role of Head Boy. I was deeply honoured to be appointed Head Boy of the school this term, and it means the world to me. However, I have recently come to realise that as important as being Head Boy is, there are things that are more important – and standing with my housemates, family and friends to fight for a righteous change is definitely one of them. That being so, I willingly surrender my Head Boy badge rather than have it taken from me.” 

Harry could barely come to terms with what had happened. He felt sick as out of the corner of his eye, he saw Percy step forward and place the badge, the petition and the Charter onto the table in front of the Headmaster. Percy stepped back into line, and then the awful silence returned. Harry felt tears hovering in his eyes and he had to fight hard not to let them fall. Then, finally, Dumbledore reacted. He stood and started walking to the end of the staff table – but to Harry’s frustration he’d gone the other way, so he could not see the Headmaster’s expression. Surely, surely, Dumbledore would do the right thing? If ever Harry had relied on him to do so, this was the time. 

The Headmaster came to a stop in front of Percy. “Mr. Weasley, I believe that I owe you a great apology,” he said, and there was both warmth and sincerity in his voice. “I should have replied right away to your initial declaration, but I was so shocked at what I believe to be the first formal Hogwarts school protest for well over a century that I did not respond as I should. Let me now put that omission right. I, Albus Dumbledore, do acknowledge your right of lawful protest.” 

There was a large, collective sigh of relief among the Gryffindors. “Thank you,” Percy said, though his voice was so choked with emotion that the words were a mangled mass of syllables - and barely understandable, Harry thought as he allowed his own feelings of relief to wash over him, unless you guessed what he was trying to say in the first place. 

“You are very welcome,” Dumbledore said. He picked up the Head Boy badge. “And having taken care of the formalities, I believe that this should be put back in its rightful place, don’t you?” He pinned the badge back on to Percy’s robes. Percy made a sound that was half way between a groan and a sob. 

Dumbledore leaned forward, patted Percy on the shoulder and whispered a few words into his ear. Then he stepped back and raised his voice. “Students of Gryffindor, thank you for what you have done today. Your protest has come as a very great surprise to me, but I promise that this proposal will be most carefully and seriously considered. I will discuss it as soon as possible with the other Professors and with the Board of Governors, and also with the Minister for Magic, as a courtesy. That will all take a few days, but I promise that this Charter will be my highest priority, and as soon as we have made a decision about this matter then I will relay it to you all. And now, if you are willing then I suggest that you return to your table and partake of the food and drink which I imagine you were all far too nervous to sample much of before!” 

“Yes Sir,” Percy said, the joy that he clearly felt echoing in his voice. “Thank you again. March!” He swung around and led the triumphant, relieved, thrilled Gryffindors back through the centre two tables. They had not got very far before the school started to react. 

Harry thought it was amazing, how suddenly the Great Hall went from total silence to massive, spontaneous waves of noise. The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were yelling congratulations, stamping their feet, thumping the table, clapping and whistling their support. There were sparks shot from wands, flashes of light, fireworks whooshing overhead and it all felt totally wonderful. The Gryffindors streamed in triumph back to their own table, grinning madly. Harry was overcome with joy and he couldn’t hold back a couple of tears as he walked, but it didn’t matter because _they’d absolutely done it!_ , and nothing could make him feel anything other than glorious just then. He smiled across at Neville who walked next to him; Neville looked the happiest that Harry had ever seen him. At the head of their procession, Harry saw Percy wave his wand and then copies of the Charter, along with the petitions for the other houses to sign, starting flying to the other tables. 

Once they’d returned to their table, Percy – who looked tremendously elated – picked up a goblet. “Students of Gryffindor, I give you a toast!” he shouted. “ _To a job well done_!” 

“A JOB WELL DONE!” they roared back, raising their goblets to him and laughing with delight. 

“Thank you all,” Percy said. “And now, feel free to re-join your friends and let’s all have lunch!” 

The Gryffindors, still overwhelmed at what they’d achieved, chaotically rearranged themselves to sit with their friends. Percy was about to sit down himself when the twins walked across to him. Harry had never seen them look at their big brother as they did then; it was with a sincere mixture of admiration and respect. They bowed ceremonially to Percy, and then grabbed him in an awkward kind of triangular hug. Ginny ran to them and pushed into the middle of the hug, and Ron quickly did the same. After a minute or so, Percy leaned his head to the side and shouted, ”Harry – come and join us!” 

Harry went over, a little nervous about intruding on a Weasley family moment, but Percy pulled him into the middle of the scrum and gave him a determined hug too. “You’re one of us now Harry, the hugging comes with the territory!” 

“Well done, Percy,” Harry said, when the hugs stopped and he was able to step back. All of them were grinning. “You were amazing! But I couldn’t believe it when you took your Head Boy badge off. You told us all that nobody would get into trouble because of this!” 

“And you told me there’d be no chaos and anarchy, yet here we are,” Percy said with a grin, waving his hand towards the raucous students. “I didn’t say anything about it because I didn’t want to worry you. Still, it’s all right now. Everything worked out for the best.” 

“Could you see Dumbledore’s face when you spoke to him?” Ron said. “I was too far over to get a look at him. How did he react?” 

“He was just staring at me,” Percy said. “I couldn’t read his expression at all. In the end I just thought, let’s keep going and take the consequences!” 

“If you don’t mind me asking - what did Dumbledore say to you, when he whispered in your ear?” Harry said. 

Percy looked a little embarrassed. “Only four words, Harry: _Never forget this moment_.” Harry smiled with satisfaction – now that was more like the Dumbledore that he knew. 

“Wow,” Ron said, impressed. “The Headmaster really can make you think sometimes, can’t he?” 

“Indeed he can. Now go and eat, all of you.” 

“We’ll all eat together,” Ginny declared, so they did, joined by Lee, Neville, Oliver, Colin and Hermione. They were interrupted many times by Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students who came over to express their support, congratulate them and ask questions about the protest and the Charter. It was the noisiest and most chaotic meal that Harry had ever experienced, and he loved it. 

“Can you believe it,” Ron exclaimed at one point, “what Dumbledore said? He’s going to talk to the Minister about this – it’ll be taken right to the top!” 

“I wonder what Minister Fudge will think about it,” Hermione mused. “I hope he’ll back us up. The Minister is closely linked with Lucius Malfoy, after all, and I’m sure we can’t count on _his_ support.” 

“Well, Dumbledore said he was only speaking to Fudge as a courtesy, so it might not matter either way,” Harry said. “Mr. Malfoy’s not on the Board of Governors any more, thankfully. By the way, did anyone notice how the Slytherins reacted to our protest? I couldn’t see them when we were marching back because there were people in the way.” 

“They weren’t happy,” Lee said gleefully. “Lots of muttering and glaring and grumbling to each other. Maybe they see this as an insult to their Head of House or something, although why they’d think such a thing, I really can’t imagine.” 

Harry grinned and took a quick look across to the Slytherin side of the hall. Lee was right; there was no sign of the cheerfulness that could be seen at the other three tables. The Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw petitions had quickly been returned with masses of signatures to Percy – who’d already handed them proudly to the Headmaster – but nobody on the Slytherin table was signing their petition. 

“If you think that’s bad, then look at Professor Snape!” Hermione said. 

“He’s fuming,” Ron declared as he did so. “And, I don’t know – shocked, maybe?” 

Harry turned to glance at the staff table. He’d been so overwhelmed with everything that he hadn’t even thought to see what their reactions were before now. As it turned out, they made a very interesting contrast. Hagrid looked downhearted and nervous, whereas Professors Sprout, Lupin and Flitwick were thoroughly cheerful, chatting away to each other; Harry saw Flitwick point to the Charter as he spoke. Professor Sinistra had a thoughtful expression, while Professor McGonagall was obviously both happy and proud - Harry was relieved to see such a positive reaction from his Head of House. Madam Pomfrey was apparently unconcerned, while Madam Pince and Professor Trelawney looked somewhat bemused and Filch was grumpier than ever. Madam Hooch seemed amused and the Headmaster was studying the petitions thoughtfully, while Professors Vector, Burbage and Babbling spoke to one another intently. Which only left… Snape. Professor Snape was staring down at his food, but not eating any of it. Nobody was talking to him. On his normally pale face there were angry blotches of red, and his expression was twisted and fierce. 

“We should all make every effort to stay away from Snape for as long as possible,” Harry said to the others. 

Neville followed his gaze and nodded. “That’s a _really_ good idea.” 

“I should probably go and chat to Hagrid this afternoon,” Ron said thoughtfully. “He looks a bit down and he might need some reassurance about the Charter. I would’ve liked to warn him before we did this but of course I couldn’t. I’ll ask the other Danger Club members to come along as well.” 

“Yes, that should help,” Hermione agreed. “I’m sure that Hagrid will be fine, once it’s explained to him - especially when he learns that it was your idea in the first place, Harry.” 

They left the Great Hall in a cheerful bunch around thirty minutes later. Fred and George stayed close to Percy. They’d told him that as a precaution it would be better for him not to go anywhere on his own for the next few days, just until the Slytherins had a chance to get over their offence at him leading the protest. There was no immediate threat from that quarter, though – the Slytherin table was now completely empty, and their copy of the petition had been ripped into several pieces and thrown onto the floor. 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

Most of the Gryffindor students spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing and congratulating themselves on their accomplishment. Although of course they had no idea whether the Charter would be adopted or not, it felt wonderful to have made a daring strike against Professor Snape (and against bad teachers everywhere!) which none of the rest of the school had seen coming. Percy received so much praise for his actions that he looked extremely smug; the shock of nearly losing his Head Boy position had now worn off and he was jaunty and cheerful. However, he still regularly reminded people that the whole thing had been Harry’s idea, “But don’t tell anyone else that - you know we don’t want the Slytherins to find out!” For his part, Harry went around the room to thank people for their participation; he had some special words of praise for Natalie and Jason, who were delighted that their own role in the day’s events had worked out so well. 

After an hour or so, Harry, Hermione, Ron and Neville headed off to see Hagrid, along with the rest of the Danger Club members. Ron had graciously given his friends permission to join them – he described this (much to their amusement) as a special concession, since by rights it should have been Danger Club members only. During the walk over to Hagrid’s house, Ron told Padma, Parvati, Ernie and Justin the tale of how the lunchtime protest had been planned and prepared for. They all laughed at learning about the secret early morning rehearsal, a story which Ron relayed with great enthusiasm. Harry, Ginny, Neville and Hermione - who were walking a little behind them - all rolled their eyes as Ron continued to show off about their protest. 

“Danger Boy over there does know the whole thing was _your_ idea, doesn’t he?” Hermione muttered in annoyance to Harry. “And has he forgotten that he only became a proper member of this quest group a few hours ago?” 

He grinned back at her tolerantly. “Let him boast if he wants to. Anyway, we were all in it together.” 

“Some more than others,” Neville murmured, making Harry and Ginny chuckle. 

Hermione clearly wasn’t amused, however. “But Harry, this is your quest and to listen to Ron talk, anyone would think he invented the whole thing!” 

“I know, Hermione; but after how well it all turned out, I don’t think I want to get angry about anything today. And you know, for weeks now Ron’s stood on the outside and refused to get involved. Now he’s a part of it. If he feels proud enough to show off about what we did, well, I can’t bring myself to mind. We’ve got our best friend back, and I really wanted that to happen.” 

She sighed, but calmed down somewhat. “Very well Harry, but I don’t suppose he’d like it if we took credit for everything that he’s doing with the Danger Club!” 

“I’ll deal with him if he takes it too far,” Neville said, to Harry’s surprise. “Don’t worry, Hermione.” 

She glanced across at him and after a moment, nodded her head. “Okay, Neville. I know I can rely on you.” He smiled and blushed a little. 

It turned out to be a good idea to visit Hagrid, as the man became immensely cheered up on hearing that the Charter had been written by Harry \- “This is _your_ work, Harry? Well then, I was worrying about it for nothin’!” - and he relaxed even more when they talked him through it. Padma took the lead at this point, explaining to Hagrid how each of the clauses in the Charter could best be applied to his Care of Magical Creatures lessons. Harry was quite impressed by Padma’s insight; she’d had a copy of the Charter for less than two hours, but in that time, she must have studied it intently. The others chipped in with useful advice too, and Harry was amused to see the way that Ron was fussily directing proceedings. It was the first time ever that Ron had reminded him of Percy; he clearly took his role as Danger Club leader very seriously. 

“Of course, there’s no guarantee that the Charter will be adopted,” Harry said towards the end of their conversation, “but even if it isn’t, I still think the changes that Padma and the rest of the Danger Club suggested are brilliant.” 

“Thanks Harry,” Padma said, blushing slightly. 

“Oh, I bet you’ll get yer’ Charter,” Hagrid said cheerfully. “I’ll support it, fer’ one. Dumbledore’s already set up a staff meeting for us Professors all to talk about it at seven o’clock tonight.” This was welcome news to Harry and the others. 

“He’s made a quick start,” Ernie said. “I wish you luck, Harry – I try really hard at Potions but Professor Snape never seems to say anything very nice about my work.” 

“It’s not just about Snape,” Harry said, sticking to their official line on this. “I mean, History classes are long overdue for improvement too.” 

“Ah, Professor Binns can be a bit dry, like,” Hagrid said. “Poor fella.” 

“Poor us, having to sit through his lessons!” Justin said. “So, do you have any other questions about the Charter, Hagrid?” 

“No thank yer’, I’m all clear on it now. So, how about some more rock cakes?” 

“No sorry, I think we have to go back to the school now,” Ron said, and got up quickly. The others rapidly jumped up as well. 

“That’s a shame. Never mind, they’ll keep ‘till the next Danger Club meeting,” Hagrid said, making Ron wince. “Tomorrow, right?” 

“Yes,” Ron said with a sickly grin. “See you then. And the rock cakes.” Hermione giggled. They said their goodbyes to a much happier Hagrid and strolled back to the castle. 

Back in the Gryffindor common room, everyone settled down for an easy, lazy afternoon. Harry popped upstairs the dorm after a while, when it occurred him that he should check his memo to see if Blaise had left him any feedback on the protest. Which, as it turned out, he had. 

_In all honesty, I’ve rarely seen a power move as cleverly planned and executed. Well played, Harry. Very, very well played. _

__

_And also, Theo asked me to pass on his congratulations. He says that using PW as your leader was an inspired idea. I agree. You must tell me how you talked him into it next time we meet. Did you blackmail him? Confund him? Was it the Imperius? Did you kidnap one of his many thousand family members and hold them hostage? Eager minds want to know._

__

_And also (part 2), without going against my rule of not sharing any Slytherin secrets, I believe I can mention that it’s total raging disorder over here right now, and that’s ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT. _

__

_But even so, well done from your small but perfectly formed Slytherin fan cub. (You still suck at duelling, though)._

Harry chuckled. **_Sorry I didn’t reply sooner – been a bit busy here. Don’t have time to write much now, so just a quick note until later. Thanks for the compliments, and apologies for the raging disorder. You should go and see Madam Pomfrey about that, she’ll probably have a spell or a potion you can take for it._ **

Back in the common room, Harry was handed a letter from Seamus who said that Dumbledore had asked him to pass it on. He opened it nervously; it was an invitation to visit the Headmaster any time that afternoon, with a note added stating that the password had recently changed to ‘Fondant Fancies’. 

Harry showed the letter to the others. “Time to face the music.” 

“Are you worried about what he’ll say?” Ron asked. 

“No. Well, yeah, maybe a little bit. Still, at least he won’t make me eat rock cakes.” 

“That’s right, always look for the silver lining,” Hermione said with a teasing smile. 

Harry grinned back. “I’ll go now, get it over with. See you all later.” 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

“Thank you for coming to see me again,” the Headmaster said gravely after Harry had sat down. “Although if you had refused to do so, then I would not have been at all surprised.” 

Harry looked at the Headmaster nervously. “Well, I knew you’d be angry about what we’ve done. You wanted me to let the whole thing go and I wasn’t willing to.” 

“I am not angry Harry, except with myself. You see, when I was informed by Professor McGonagall that you had submitted a complaint about Professor Snape, I immediately thought two things. Firstly, that your complaint was absolutely justified and secondly, that I could not possibly allow it to succeed.” 

Harry took a minute to process this. “Because of… him, you mean?” 

“Voldemort? You can say the name, Harry. Yes, because of him. But I was wrong. I should have listened to you, instead of sending you away with evasions and put-downs and dismissals. You deserved better.” 

“It’s all right Sir,” Harry said, rather embarrassed. “You had your reasons.” 

“Even so, I was wrong and I apologise. I would also ask your forgiveness, if you feel able to give it.” 

“Yes, of course I forgive you.” 

“Thank you, Harry,” Dumbledore said softly. “That is most kind.” 

“I just think, Headmaster that… well, if Snape needs to stay here at Hogwarts, that’s fine. I don’t have a problem with that. But there’s no reason why he can’t be a better teacher while he is here. And as well, he’s not the only bad teacher we’ve had. I mean, Professor Lockhart last year and Professor Quirrell the year before were both awful - and nobody ever learns anything in History of Magic lessons.” 

Dumbledore nodded sadly. “I cannot deny the validity of those examples, Harry. And since you have proved your point most effectively today, I promise that I will do everything possible to facilitate the introduction of the Teaching Charter. I hope you will accept that as my attempt to make up for my previous lack of support in this matter.” 

“Wow, that’s great,” Harry grinned. “I really appreciate it. Thanks, Headmaster. But what about Professor Snape?” 

“That remains to be seen,” Dumbledore replied sombrely. “For now, please leave matters in my hands and I will attempt to put everything right.” 

“I will,” Harry said cheerfully. As far as he was concerned, if Snape was so infuriated by the Charter that he either chose to resign or was sacked as a result, then that would be the icing on an already delicious cake. However, he decided it was best not to say so. 

“Excellent. And now Harry, if you can spare the time, could you indulge me by sharing the story of how today’s protest came into being? I would be most interested to hear the background to it.” 

“The whole thing? That might take a while.” 

“Take as much time as you need,” Dumbledore said genially. 

“Okay. Well, it all started on the first day of term, during the train journey back to school…” 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 


	12. Let's take this offline

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All rights to the Harry Potter universe belong to JK Rowling. I don’t own Harry Potter.
> 
> A very big thank you to everyone who's reading this story and leaving kudos or comments, I really appreciate it.

_When a project reaches an advanced stage, it will often be necessary to wait for those at a senior level to consider the strategic issues and reach a conclusion. This may be frustrating to the project team; however, the more significant a project is, the more likely it may be that lengthy consideration of the relevant factors will be needed._

Albus Dumbledore entered the Staff common room at 7pm precisely that evening. All of the teaching staff were already assembled. He looked calm and unruffled, and there was nothing in his expression to reflect his inner belief that he had a very bumpy ride ahead of him. The Hogwarts staff were sometimes argumentative, and given their different temperaments they often became a little disorderly when all in the same room; and of course, the subject under discussion this time was likely to be contentious. He noticed that Professor Snape appeared to have calmed down to a degree, but that the anger he was still feeling was clearly close to the surface. 

“Good evening to you all,” he said pleasantly. “Thank you for clearing your various schedules to accommodate this unexpected meeting. We’ve each had a few hours to consider the proposal made by the Gryffindor students at lunchtime. This afternoon I wrote to each member of the Board of Governors to explain what has occurred and provide them with a copy of the Teaching Charter for their consideration. I did the same for Minister Fudge, who owled back asking to see me tomorrow morning about it. I have also scheduled a meeting with the Board for late afternoon on Tuesday. So I am very glad that we could meet today, because before both of those discussions occur I would find it most useful to know your reactions to this proposal. After all, you are the ones who would be required to apply the standards outlined in the Teaching Charter if we proceed with it. Therefore, please would each of you please tell me your thoughts in general – and whether you are for or against it.” 

There was a pause of a few seconds, while each of the teachers glanced at each other. Professor Burbage was the first to speak. “Well, I have to say – it was a heck of a spectacle, wasn’t it? Highly audacious! I was enormously impressed with the way the whole thing was organised.” 

Professor Snape snorted with derision. “I have to disagree. Those Gryffindors need putting in their place, and as for Percy Weasley – you were far too lenient, Headmaster. Never mind taking his Head Boy badge away; he should have been expelled for gross impertinence!” 

_“That didn’t take long,”_ the Headmaster thought to himself wryly as the room exploded with furious argument. _“Sometimes, I think I’m too old for all of this.”_

Eventually, he was able to calm the Professors down. A number of them were glaring at Professor Snape, who stared angrily back at them. “Now everyone, please let us remain professional in our dealings with each other. Professor Snape has every right to his opinion. On the subject of Percy Weasley however, I’m afraid I cannot agree with him. It would only have been permitted for me take any form of disciplinary action against him if the protest today was unlawful. Now, under the rules of Hogwarts a student protest is classed as lawful when three conditions are met; firstly it must be non-violent, secondly it must include at least twelve students and thirdly, the subject of the protest must have already been discussed with myself as Headmaster and no resolution reached. All three conditions apply in this case, so it was a lawful protest.” 

“Does that mean you knew about this beforehand, Headmaster?” Professor Sprout asked. “You looked pretty startled to me.” 

“I was more than startled, Pomona – I was quite stunned. I had no idea what was going to happen today. However, I had previously spoken to a Gryffindor student who filed a complaint with Professor McGonagall some weeks ago in relation to teaching standards. When it was referred to me, I chose to dismiss that complaint without taking any action. I did not even discuss it with the staff member concerned - which I can now see was a serious error on my part. I assumed that I knew best, which really is one of the most dangerous assumptions for anyone to ever make.” The other Professors looked very surprised at this news. 

“If I may ask, Headmaster,” Professor Burbage said hesitantly, “is that something that you’ve done before – taking no notice when someone complains, I mean?” 

He shook his head gravely. “Not at all, Charity. There were special circumstances in this case, but I made the wrong decision, all the same. And as a result, what was a small issue has now become a much larger one.” 

“I didn’t know anything about today’s activities either, before anyone asks,” Professor McGonagall added cheerfully. “I expect they thought it best not to mention it to me in advance.” 

“And was the original complaint about any one Professor’s teaching methods in particular?” Professor Vector asked the Headmaster with a sly smile. 

“Yes, but I don’t think we should concern ourselves with that, Septima. The Teaching Charter is what we must consider now - and that relates to all classes which take place in Hogwarts.” 

“I don’t see much point in pretending that we don’t all know it’s Severus,” Madam Hooch said, overriding him cheerfully. “Could hardly be anyone else, especially given how furious you’ve been with him recently, Minerva.” 

“I hardly think that matter is any of your concern,” Professor Snape said in a dangerous voice. 

“I quite agree,” Professor Flitwick said forcefully, before anyone else could speak. “The same goes for all of us. We certainly have no right to pry into a private issue, which the complaint clearly is. The Headmaster is looking for our thoughts on the Teaching Charter, and nothing else. I have two things to say on that score. Firstly, that its provisions seem well written and entirely reasonable. Secondly, that it will take some work to introduce – and I’d be concerned about the extra administrative burden on Minerva and yourself, Headmaster. However, I for one am more than willing to support this proposal and work with each of you to implement it.” 

“Well said, Filius,” Professor McGonagall replied warmly. “I completely agree. We’d probably need new employment contracts, though.” 

“That is a fair point,” the Headmaster said, making a note of it. “Thank you, Minerva.” 

“I’ll back this scheme too,” said Professor Sprout. “I think the Charter’s values align closely to those of my House anyway. It’s all about fairness, and really we should be doing all of it already!” 

“Not so easy for that to happen when you consider some our past Defence teachers,” Professor Babbling commented. “We’re lucky this year of course with you, Remus, but most of the time Defence ends up being taught by people with doubtful backgrounds and even more doubtful magical and teaching abilities.” 

Lupin smiled modestly. “Thank you, Bathsheda. I’m glad to be the exception to the rule. And I also support the Charter and will gladly help to launch it.” 

“You would,” Professor Snape said viciously. Professor Lupin glanced across at him quizzically but didn’t respond. 

“Certainly, special provisions would need to be made for the recruitment of Defence teachers, if Professor Lupin should ever feel the need to move on,” Dumbledore agreed quickly. “Any other thoughts?” 

“I vote against, of course,” Professor Snape said. “As a Head of House and a Professor of this school for many years, I should have the right to teach in the way that I think fit. I will not be dictated to by a bunch of reckless, impertinent Gryffindors!” 

“Oh, give it a rest, will you!” Professor McGonagall exclaimed furiously. “As I warned you a month ago when this all started, you only have yourself to blame for the consequences!” 

“So much for not admitting which Professor the complaint related to,” Professor Sinistra commented drily. 

“Let us all please keep to discussing the Teaching Charter only,” the Headmaster said sharply. “So far, we have Severus against it and Filius, Minerva, Pomona and Remus in favour. Now, there are several of you who haven’t spoken yet. Cuthbert, what about you?” 

Professor Binns was floating next to the table. He’d positioned himself at the same level as the seated Professors by letting his legs drift through the floor. “Well, I don’t suppose it concerns me much,” he said absently. There was an awkward pause. The Headmaster looked as if he was about to say something, but then he changed his mind. “I will take that as an abstention. Anyone else care to voice an opinion?” 

“I’ll vote for it,” Hagrid said gruffly. “I might need some help with the particulars, mind.” 

“I shall abstain,” Professor Sinistra said. “I don’t object to the Charter but I think for the most part that we’re fine as we are. I’m also taking into account the fact that while there was widespread student support in three Houses, the Slytherins did not react to it positively.” 

Snape nodded grimly. “Thank you, Aurora, for being the only person so far to consider the needs of the Slytherin students. They are indeed most concerned about the Charter. I stayed over two hours this afternoon in the Slytherin common room trying to reassure them, with limited success. They think this is a Gryffindor conspiracy to sabotage Slytherin House - and I’m not so sure that they’re wrong.” 

“That’s ridiculous!” Professor Vector exclaimed. “Honestly Severus, I’ve never heard such rubbish!” 

“It’s not rubbish to the Slytherins,” he replied in an angry voice, “and given that they do represent a quarter of the school’s population, I think their views should at least be taken into account!” 

“They will be, but truly - there is no conspiracy against Slytherin House,” Headmaster Dumbledore replied firmly. “I give you my word on that, Severus.” Professor Snape looked across at him for a few moments, then shrugged and looked away. 

“It’s something new and a bit radical, that’s all,” Professor Babbling said. “Give the Slytherins time, Severus, and they’ll adjust. I reckon that in a month or two they’ll be quite used to the Charter, and by the end of the school year it’ll feel like we’ve always had it. I like the concept anyway, so it’s a yes from me.” 

“Well unfortunately, I must vote against the idea,” Professor Trelawney added self-importantly. “I’m sure the Gryffindors mean well, but such tight restrictions to our teaching practices are hardly conducive to allowing the Inner Eye to operate freely.” 

Dumbledore nodded gravely, but was secretly amused by Severus’s obvious distaste at being backed up by Professor Trelawney, whom he’d always despised. He saw Minerva grin and knew she was thinking the same. 

“I’ll vote in favour,” Madam Hooch said, “but Headmaster, as things stand neither yourself or Minerva has the time for the work this will generate. What would you say to the idea of appointing a second Deputy Head, to share the extra duties out? Minerva would still be senior, of course.” 

“That is a most interesting idea,” Dumbledore replied. “Thank you, I’ll certainly consider it.” 

“I’d have no objection, as long as we could find the money in our budget for the increase in salary,” Professor McGonagall chipped in. 

“The Charter gets my vote too,” Professor Vector said. “Agree about the second Deputy, I think that’s a must, though most of the work involved will be at the start. Once it’s up and running, the time required to administer it should be limited.” 

“Which only leaves me!” said Professor Burbage. “I’m all for it. The Charter is simple, and should be quite easy to integrate into most classes. Even Divination, I’d say,” she added, with a slight smirk. “Surely the esoteric magic of the Inner Eye is powerful enough to rise above such low-level administrative changes as would be generated by a Teaching Charter?” 

“Well yes, you could have a point there, dear,” Professor Trelawney replied thoughtfully, not noticing her colleagues’ amused reaction. “In that case, I will change my vote to abstain.” 

“Thank you all,” the Headmaster said. “Now I make that nine in favour, three abstaining and one against. I also am in favour, but I have decided that whether the Teaching Charter is implemented or not will be a decision for the Board of Governors to make. And I suppose the Minister’s view will need to be considered; I find the fact that he’s asked to discuss it with me so quickly to be very interesting. Now, supposing that the Charter is brought in, does anyone have any objection to any of its requirements? Are there any changes to the wording needed?” 

“No, I’d say it’s practically perfect as it is,” Professor Sprout said, and there were several nods of agreement around the table. 

“Good. Well then, when I speak to the Governors, I will give them a balanced summary of tonight’s discussions and let them know your views, both for and against. We have a majority in favour but of course, I do acknowledge that this is a significant alteration in our teaching practices and should we adopt the Charter, then help and support would be provided to those of you who need it.” Hagrid looked cheered by this, while Snape huffed and looked away. 

“I think we should see this as a potential benefit for the reputation of the school,” Professor Flitwick said. “Also, it’s consistent internationally; I know that other magical schools already have some form of guidelines or framework used for their Professors to operate under.” 

“Yes, that’s quite correct,” Dumbledore said with a mischievous smile. “You know, if we all worked in Durmstrang then I’d have to carry out a full practical and theoretical assessment on each one of you every month. And even worse, you’d all have to complete and submit detailed progress reports on every student in your classes on a fortnightly basis.” He smiled as he saw their faces; however much the staff had disagreed during the course of the evening’s meeting, it was obvious that they were united in finding this a very unpleasant notion. 

“They don’t do all of that, surely?” Professor Lupin said with a laugh. “I can’t imagine how anyone gets any work done, in that case.” 

“Indeed,” the Headmaster said. “I imagine that leisure time is rather limited there. Now, does anyone else have any comments before we conclude?” 

“Yes,” Professor Snapes said with a malicious look around the room. “I would just like to remind everyone that according to Percy Weasley, the Gryffindors believe that there is more than one Professor who is not meeting their elevated standards for teaching. Exceptions in the plural were mentioned,” he added pointedly. There was a slight pause, and perhaps a touch of unease as his words sunk in. 

“That is something very relevant to this discussion, Severus,” Professor Flitwick said after a moment. “And what I would say in response is this – we’re all capable of improvement. We can all do better. If we need to make changes in order to comply with the Teaching Charter, then I am sure that everyone in this room is capable of doing so.” There was a general murmur of agreement, and Snape looked glum. 

“Thank you for those wise words, Filius,” Dumbledore said. “I am of the same mind, and in truth I hope that I never stop trying to improve myself. Well then, I suggest we meet again on Tuesday evening at the same time, when I will be able to inform you of the Board’s decision. Severus, I assure you that if they back the Charter then I will work with you to address any issues that your Slytherins have with it. And now, I have taken up quite enough of everyone’s time, so I will draw the meeting to a close. Severus, Minerva – I wonder if both of you would be willing to take a short stroll with me down to the lake? It’s not too chilly at present and there’s no rain forecast for the next few hours.” 

“By all means, Albus,” Professor McGonagall replied. Professor Snape merely nodded his head curtly. The Headmaster wished everyone else a pleasant evening and led them both out of the room. 

The storm of gossip which followed their departure ended up lasting longer than the meeting itself. 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

The three teachers walked in silence out of the castle and down towards the lake. Those students who passed them on the way made attempts, with varying degrees of success, to stare at them while pretending not to be looking their direction at all. Once by the lake they were alone in the darkness, until the Headmaster conjured a lantern which floated next to them and provided warmth as well as light. He also cast a quick Privacy charm as a precaution. Dumbledore could more easily have taken his two Heads of House to his office, but he hoped that a walk in the night air might help with gaining a little perspective. He feared what the outcome would be, both for themselves and for the school, if these two could not be reconciled. 

“Whatever happens over the next few days, that was a remarkable event which took place at lunchtime,” Dumbledore said after a few moments of silence. “I know you will be very proud of your house, Minerva.” 

“I am indeed,” she said, her voice softening. “That was true courage, especially on Percy Weasley’s part.” 

“Does it not bother you that they acted without your knowledge?” Snape asked her. 

“Oh yes, but not in the way that you think. What bothers me is that it was necessary in the first place. If a member of my House comes to me asking for help and protection then I ought to be able to provide those things. What the Gryffindors did today only took place because I failed them.” 

“That is by no means the case Minerva, please don’t think anything of the kind,” Dumbledore hastened to reassure her. 

“It’s exactly the case Albus, which is why I decided this afternoon that I will be resigning as Deputy Headmistress and Head of Gryffindor immediately if this Teaching Charter is not implemented.” 

“Now Minerva, please don’t over-react,” he said with alarm. “I am sure that Professor Snape and I would not want anything as drastic as that to take place.” 

“I… I would not,” Snape confirmed. He too seemed shocked at the idea. 

“Oh, I’ll stay on as Transfiguration Professor,” she told them, “but that’s only because I’d have control of events in my own classroom. Severus – as a Head of House yourself, I would think the position would be very clear to you. I can’t stop my students from being intimidated and harassed in your lessons. I tried and I failed, so if the Charter isn’t introduced to protect students then I need to step down and allow someone else to take my place.” 

The two men stared at her with identical expressions of surprise and dismay on their faces. 

“Minerva, truly, I think you should reconsider,” Dumbledore said firmly. “I really would not wish for such a thing to happen.” 

“Well, it’s going to,” she insisted. “This is my choice and I can’t be dissuaded. Albus, I hope that the Board of Governors make the right decision when it comes to the Charter but either way, at least I know now that I’ve done all I can, and that comforts me. Good night to you both,” she said, and walked away before either man could think of anything else to say. 

“Is she serious about stepping down?” Snape asked Dumbledore. 

“Yes, I fear so.” 

“I don’t want that to happen. I thought… I was sure that you’d resolve matters and smooth things over with her, as you have done in the past. Why is she taking this to such extremes?” 

“Because like most of the students, she feels that change is overdue. I can understand your surprise, Severus – I didn’t see any of this coming myself,” Dumbledore said ruefully. 

“Headmaster, why did you not discuss this complaint with me when you received it?” 

Dumbledore smiled. “My dear Severus, what would have been the point? You’ve never taken the slightest notice of complaints in the past.” 

“I don’t suppose you’d care to tell me the name of the student concerned? Minerva wouldn’t say, of course.” 

“And nor will I, although I understand why you might want to know. She is still angry with you, Severus. I think that if the situation were reversed then you would be totally furious with her.” 

“I should have paid more attention,” Snape muttered. “She gave me a month to make changes to the way in which I teach and I just ignored her. I don’t see the need for any change. And why she wants to force me to now, after all of these years, I cannot think.” 

“Severus, imagine if you will that you were a healer at St. Mungo’s with twenty patients on your ward. Three of them were quite seriously ill while the others were nearly better. How would you split up your time between each patient?” 

Snape frowned suspiciously. “Would I be the only healer on this imaginary ward?” 

“Yes, you would be.” 

“Well then, I suppose the patients who were seriously ill would require most attention, with occasional checks on the others to ensure that their condition did not worsen.” 

“Yes, that sounds sensible. Now, imagine instead that you were a Potions Professor with twenty students in your class. Three of them were struggling with their work while the others were doing well. How would you split up your time between each student?” 

“Is this about Longbottom’s boggart?” Snape asked in a chilly tone. 

“Indeed not; it could be any class. But do you understand the point that I am making? Those students who are falling behind at Potions and not achieving success should be given more help and encouragement to enable them to improve. I’m afraid that’s something that you only do for students of your own House. To everyone else, you are severely critical and demanding. You expect perfection, but it’s difficult for a child to excel when they either fear or hate or resent their teacher.” 

“If you want my resignation then you can have it, Headmaster,” he snapped. “I assume you do, since you apparently have such a poor opinion of me.” 

“On the contrary, Severus, I very much want you to remain at Hogwarts. I am just saying that you could teach to a much higher standard, if you so wished. You are an excellent Head of House but when it comes to teaching, you could be so much more than you are now.” 

“We have had this discussion before,” Snape said with distaste. 

“Yes we have, but this time we are at the cliff edge, Severus. And sadly, I now have an unwinnable situation on my hands. You have made it clear on many occasions that you will teach as you think fit and you are unwilling to change your methods. The vast majority of our students have today told us that they see an improvement in teaching standards - which would include your own - as an important priority. Minerva has followed that up by stating that unless you are willing to be part of this change, she will step down as Head of Gryffindor and Deputy Headmistress. The Board of Governors is likely to react very badly to that; they will not approve of retaining you as a Head of House while losing her. I am also fairly certain that they will strongly back the Teaching Charter – indeed, some of them have done so already. There have been several complaints made about you to the Board in the past, as you know. And therefore, I think it’s quite likely that when I meet with them on Tuesday and I tell the Governors that you’re against the Charter, that they will demand that I either replace you or be replaced myself.” 

“Surely things haven’t gone that far?” Snape said in a dazed voice. 

“I’m afraid they have. As you know, when we are looking for a new Board member, we prefer to choose someone with a child or other relative who is attending the school. The Board are therefore very well informed as to your teaching peculiarities, shall we say, and they heartily disapprove of them. In the past I have been able to drive off attempts to force me to take action on this, ironically with the assistance of Lucius Malfoy. One of the few things that he and I agreed upon was that you are needed here at Hogwarts. However, since he was removed from the Board you have no particular allies there and defending you is becoming increasingly difficult. The Board members are unaware that you remain here because Harry Potter needs a protector, and because one day Lord Voldemort will rise again and when that happens, I will sadly again need my spy in the Death Eater ranks. Therefore, they see my continued commitment to you as evidence of poor judgement on my part – and nobody wants Hogwarts to be run by a man with poor judgement.” 

Snape looked haggard. “Then you should let me go.” 

“Would you really rather leave Hogwarts than adapt to changing times? This is your home, Severus. You belong here.” 

“I would not succeed at adapting. I might try, but I am too… too frozen to turn into the man you want me to be.” 

Dumbledore looked at him intently. “Suppose I was to tell you that there is a spell which could help with your adaptation. Would you be interested in learning about it?” Snape didn’t reply. “If the answer is no then I will understand, of course.” 

“What sort of spell?” he said eventually. 

“An old, old spell – quite out of fashion nowadays. My grandfather told me about it when I was a boy. He’d used it himself as a young man and always credited it with turning his life around. The name of the spell is _Volens Melius,_ but my grandfather just used to call it The Guide. It can be used where a witch or wizard desires to complete an objective of some kind, but for some reason they don’t have the will or ability to do so unaided. My grandfather, for example, used to have a gambling problem; he wanted to stop, but he couldn’t manage it before using _Volens Melius_. This is a spellwhich must be cast willingly and under no form of compulsion, and anyone using it can remove it from themselves at any time.” 

“I don’t understand. What does this spell actually do?” 

“Well, if you have a particular objective in mind then it helps you to achieve it. The magic of _Volens Melius_ links to you and helps you reach a calm state where measured decisions can be made. It enables you to perceive facts more objectively and to identify actions which can help you achieve your stated aims. In this case, I suppose, the objective would be for you to change your teaching methods as much as required to keep you here at the school, but at the same time to act a convincing role with the Slytherins so they are deceived into thinking that you have not changed your core views – and therefore when the time calls for it, you would be able to re-join the Death Eaters as a spy. The spell does not control you in any way. Think of it as a source of wisdom which is always with you, but which can be ignored if you deem it best. It is also, as I say, a spell which can be deactivated and then reactivated at will.” 

“I don’t like the sound of it,” Snape said suspiciously. “I definitely do _not_ want a voice in my head always telling me what to do.” 

“It is not a voice - although it does sometimes seem that way, when thoughts which are your own are generated, seemingly out of thin air; this happens because you would have much more of an ability to deeply reason and think things through. No, the guiding element of _Volens Melius_ is more like a feeling – a sensation. The form of it changes for each person who uses the spell. To me it always seemed as if I was sailing on a boat in the middle of the ocean. If the spell thought I was heading in the right direction then the water was smooth, whereas it became choppy or rough if I was taking actions that were against my stated goal.” 

“ _Your_ goal? You have tried this spell yourself then?” 

“I have indeed, and it helped me very much. I remembered my grandfather speaking of it when I was a young man myself, and I took a path in life which I became deeply ashamed of. I used it because I wanted to be sure that I did not take the wrong path again. It is because I know this spell from my own personal experience that I think it could be of use to you too. We have things in common, you and I. We both continue to feel great remorse over the terrible mistakes we made when we were young.” 

“You also? I didn’t know…” 

“Oh, I understand all too well what living with your own regrets means, Severus. Of course, you may not be interested in using the spell. It would bring considerable change with it, but I think that would be a positive development. Severus, what you do next with your life is up to you, but Lily’s child is at Hogwarts and will remain so for several years. If you intend to stay here to protect him, as you have done so far, then I wanted to offer this to you as a source of help and support which you would not otherwise have been aware of.” 

There was a long silence. Snape appeared to be thinking deeply, frowning with the effort of concentration. Dumbledore looked out at the lake as he waited. He seemed at ease, relaxed – but he was desperately hoping that his Potions Master would at least consider his suggestion. To lose him at such a time, when Voldemort had already attacked Harry Potter twice while at Hogwarts and when the boy was again in danger from one of Voldemort’s most dangerous supporters, would be a tremendous blow. 

“Do you have any books about this spell?” Snape asked eventually. “I would like to learn more about it before making any kind of decision.” 

Dumbledore didn’t show it, but inside he felt a massive wave of relief. “Why yes, I have a number of reference books that describe the spell in detail. I will find them and have one of the house elves deliver them to you tomorrow.” 

“Tonight, if you please.” 

“Very well.” He smiled warmly at Snape then. “Thank you for saying that you will consider this. Perhaps for now we might put it right out of our minds for a time. I suggest that we go to your quarters for an hour or two. We can drink a little wine, talk of light-hearted topics and be companionable together. You could tell me all about the latest developments in potions research, or about your plans for next summer holidays. We might play a little chess, if you are in the mood for it, or cards perhaps. It has been some considerable time since we last had a game of bezique.” 

“In other words, you are wishing to make a fuss of me,” Snape said. The tone was gruff, but Albus heard a touch of humour buried deep within it which pleased him. 

“Well, you very rarely permit me to look after you, and all too often you don’t take the time to look after yourself. Shall we, then?” 

Snape nodded with an air of resignation, and the two men walked slowly back to the castle together. 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

Five hours later, Severus Snape was sitting alone in his living room with eight large books scattered around him. All of them were ancient volumes, written by witches and wizards dead for at least two centuries. All of them contained basically the same information. As Dumbledore had told him, _Volens Melius_ was indeed a very old spell – and in some ways, rather a frightening one. 

Of course, he could see why the Headmaster had suggested it. This spell was almost perfect for the job of enabling him to keep his teaching post if the Teaching Charter was implemented. But the thought of it… this was a spell of pure transformation, and Severus knew that if he used it for any length of time that he might not be able to return to the way he was now. And possibly, he would not even want to. 

He sighed to himself, knowing what had to be done. The hour was late and he wanted to sleep, but in the morning the Headmaster would be seeking some kind of update from him, and at the moment he had no idea what his thoughts on the matter were. He needed impartial advice and there was only one person who could be trusted to give it. From a small writing desk in the corner of the room, he took out a carved piece of jade and stroked it gently until it glowed. Activating the jade’s magic would send warning to the man he was visiting, and it would also be detected by the Bloody Baron, who would monitor him from a discreet distance until he returned to his quarters. It was a sensible safety precaution, since otherwise if he had an accident or fell ill while in the part of the castle which he was about to visit then he might not be found for quite some time. 

Severus left his quarters and walked upstairs, one of the books tucked under his arm. He kept striding upwards, floor after floor until he reached the level immediately below the attics. Moving through the silent corridors, slipping past the dark and empty rooms, he felt a certain feeling of relief at the thought that at least the man he was going to meet would tell him the unvarnished truth. There would be no hidden agenda, no twisting of words, no subterfuge between them. Dumbledore knew his darkest secrets and was certainly a confidant but as always, the Headmaster’s focus was on wars both past and future. If preparing for that future war meant pushing his Potions master into casting a highly invasive spell on himself then Dumbledore was hardly likely to baulk at the idea. 

At the end of a long, winding passage, Severus came to a large portrait of a unicorn standing by an apple tree. He laid his hands on two small runes that were almost invisible within the ornate picture frame and muttered an incantation. With a low rumbling sound, the picture moved to one side revealing a small door. Once through it, he could faintly hear the picture moving back into place. Candles and sconces lit automatically as he walked into circular hallway. This was a Hogwarts tower, one of many, but it was hidden and unknown to the rest of the school. The Slytherins were so associated with the dungeons that perhaps nobody would ever guess at the existence of the Slytherin Tower. As far as Severus was aware, nobody outside of his own House had ever entered it. The tower was protected by powerful magic which it was the duty of every Head of Slytherin to reinforce and enhance. As well as maintaining its invisibility, this included spells which ensured that any person or creature flying in the air around Hogwarts would go round the tower instead of slamming into it. 

Swiftly, he moved up the stairs to one of the top rooms. It was sparsely furnished, containing only an armchair by the fire (which in the colder weather was always lit when he arrived) and a huge painting on the wall opposite. This depicted a richly decorated room with a view of a beautiful meadow beyond, but Severus only had eyes for the man in the centre of the painting, who was leaning against a pillar and regarding him with grim amusement. 

“Good evening, Severus,” Salazar Slytherin said. “Do tell me, exactly what trouble have you got yourself into this time?” 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

As was his custom, Severus bowed respectfully to the figure in the portrait before sitting down in the armchair. He knew Slytherin well now, after many years of regular visits to his room. Of all the castle’s inhabitants, only he and the Baron were aware of the portrait’s presence in Hogwarts. It had been painted a couple of years after Salazar Slytherin had quit the school and secretly smuggled into Hogwarts by some of his trusted friends to act as an advisor to the future Heads of Slytherin House. Unlike every other portrait within the castle, this one was not under the Headmaster’s control. Slytherin was able to visit most areas of the school unobserved if he liked, using the invisibility cloak which had cleverly been painted within his portrait. He also sometimes went to see many of the other portraits openly, although in disguise, calling himself John Trescoe and claiming to be a wandering minstrel. Only a few of the trusted Slytherin portraits knew his true identity. 

“Things are a little tricky at the present, I have to admit, Master Slytherin.” 

“Salazar,” the other man said. This was their ritual – Severus preferred to be invited to use Slytherin’s first name. 

“As you say. I had better tell you the whole story.” He explained the quarrel with Minerva and her demands that he revise his teaching style, admitting that he had basically ignored her. It did no good to lie or evade when speaking to Slytherin; he knew from experience that the man absolutely couldn’t be fooled. Then he talked about the Gryffindor protest, the proposed Teaching Charter, the reaction of the school as a whole, the feelings of the Slytherin students, the staff meeting and the discussion at the lake. Slytherin listened closely, saying nothing for now, letting Severus talk it through to the end. 

“I need your advice, Salazar. This spell… it would do the trick, I suppose, but I am deeply nervous of it. Should there not be another way? And if not, should I leave here? What would you do, if you were in my place?” 

“Not have allowed myself to be backed into a corner,” Slytherin said drily. “Failing to make use of that month Professor McGonagall gave you to resolve the situation privately was a grave tactical error, Severus.” 

“I know,” he admitted, shamefaced. “I took it for granted that the problem would just… go away.” 

“Well, you understand your mistake there, so I see no point in dwelling on the past. Let us consider the present. Will you wait here for a few minutes? I would like to check on something.” Snape nodded, and warmed his hands by the fire until Slytherin returned. “So, it seems that Dumbledore was not lying to you about the Board of Governors and their views. From what Phineas Nigellus tells me, there was an extremely heated argument about getting rid of you at the end of August Governors’ meeting. In fact, it was a complete shouting match. Dumbledore barely managed to repel their proposal to dismiss you immediately, and in the end, it was only him pointing out that there was no time to advertise for a new Potions master before the start of term that brought the discussions to a close.” 

“I didn’t know that,” Snape said in surprise. “And why did Phineas Nigellus not mention this to either of us before?” 

“It seems that having witnessed various similar discussions in the past, he took the same view as you and dismissed it as unimportant.” 

“So I am not the only one to have been taken by surprise at this,” Snape said thoughtfully. “Indeed, the Headmaster himself didn’t foresee it; he told me as much.” 

“Events sometimes move more quickly than we are able to anticipate,” Slytherin admitted. “This is such a time. Lucius Malfoy’s departure from the Board last school year has, I believe, acted as the tipping point. Phineas Nigellus also advised me that several of the Governors live in Hogsmeade, and so they received the Headmaster’s notification of today’s events quickly. They have already started to make their views known to him… which is not good for us. But tell me, what do you make of Minister Fudge’s wish to meet with Dumbledore?” 

Snape looked thoughtful. “Well, clearly he is more interested the Teaching Charter than we might have expected. I think the Headmaster only told Fudge so that he wouldn’t be surprised if he read about it in the Prophet. What I’m not sure about is whether he’d be for or against it. He’s influenced by Lucius Malfoy, who would obviously oppose it, but I wouldn’t have thought there’d have been enough time for Lucius to hear about today’s events and get in touch with the Minister before he then contacted Dumbledore.” 

Slytherin nodded. “In which case, more likely he’s in favour of a measure that is likely to be a big hit. Either way, he’ll be of no help to you. Even if he hates the idea, he can’t stop it.” 

“True,” Severus agreed. “So perhaps we should not worry about him?” 

“No, but be sure that he doesn’t at any point come to think you’re in his way because that, we cannot afford. Now, tell me more of this spell that Dumbledore suggested to you, for it is not one that I know of.” 

Snape nodded and opened the book. “It seems that _Volens Melius_ was invented in the thirteenth century by a Flemish witch whose adult son was excessively fond of alcohol. He would speak sincerely many times of changing his ways and staying sober, but before too long, he slipped back into bad habits. As a result, his health was not good and she feared for his future; and so, she created this spell to help him. It worked so well that the son chose never to drink alcohol again. He sang its praises far and wide, and for a couple of centuries the spell seems to have been regularly used in all sorts of situations, before gradually falling out of favour over time.” 

“Can it be used for anything dark?” Slytherin asked with a sly grin. 

Snape smiled. “Apparently not. There was never a law against doing so, but according to the records the magic only works if it’s applied to an honourable purpose.” 

“Shame. Well, how does _Volens Melius_ affect the person who it is applied to?” 

Snape consulted the book again. “It seems to separate their thought processes from strong emotions, especially those which could cause them to fail at the aim which they want to achieve. It causes immensely high clarity of mental reasoning. This chapter here speaks of thoughts arriving in a wizard’s mind which seem to be from an external source, but are actually generated by the wizard themselves once the spell activates. There also seems to be a support mechanism, in terms of emotional control and magical guidance in taking the right actions, which varies in shape for each person. Dumbledore spoke of this to me.” 

“He also told you that _Volens Melius_ can beremoved and reapplied at will. Is that correct?” 

“Yes. The initial application requires specialised magic, for which I’d need Dumbledore’s assistance, but after that I could take the spell off and then recast it either temporarily or permanently whenever I wished. However, all of the books I have read warn that the sudden contrast between how the mind is organised when _Volens Melius_ is activated and when it isn’t may seem highly unsettling, especially in the first few weeks of use when the disparity between the two mental states is greatest. I think that is what scares me most of all, Salazar – the fact that this spell involves a mental alteration. So much of my life is outside my control, but my mind at least is my own.” 

“And it still would be, although I do not underestimate the significance of that spell in reshaping it.” 

“I find the thought of making such deep changes to myself in order to comply with a set of rules dreamed up by Gryffindor students, of all people, to be appalling,” he said angrily. 

“And yet, those rules that you speak of are – to be frank – entirely fair. There is nothing in them that could really harm Slytherin House. You, however, are a different matter. So tell me Severus, could you comply with the Teaching Charter without using Dumbledore’s spell?” 

Snape stared at him for a long moment, then shook his head. “In all honesty, probably not.” 

“I concur,” Slytherin said. “You have many virtues, Severus, but your prejudices, your history and the strong emotions that swirl forever within you – they hold you back. They always have.” 

“If you think that then help me, Salazar. I cannot see my way clear; I need your guidance.” 

“Well then, let us return to this spell. If I understand you correctly, the basic purpose of _Volens Melius_ is to assist a witch or wizard who genuinely wishes to change in some way?” 

“Yes.” 

“Which you do not?” 

“No. Yes. I… I don’t know what I want,” Snape said, frowning deeply. “I wish to prevent Minerva from stepping down as Head of Gryffindor and Deputy Headmistress, I know that. After all, she did try and meet me half way on this. I’d also like the whole Teaching Charter concept to be forgotten about. Everything else is confusion.” 

Salazar grinned. “Change is hard; I know it. When I was first brought to this castle, the students spoke a language that nobody here now would recognise and acted in a way that would seem almost savage by today’s standards. As each year passed, I saw changes in the ways that the students and staff spoke and behaved and thought. The only way for me to fulfil my purpose as a guide to the Heads of Slytherin House was to change with them. If I had not evolved then I would be of no use to anyone, not least because you and I would not even understand each other!” 

Snape raised an eyebrow. “Are you saying that I should be able to make this change on my own, because you have already done so?” 

“Not necessarily. You see, the difference is time. I adapted slowly over a millennium, to keep pace with gradual shifts through the generations in language and customs and attitudes. You do not have that luxury. We must assume that the Teaching Charter will be adopted very soon. Any changes that you make will have to be swift.” 

“A part of me just wants to go and pack my bags right now and walk out.” 

“Yes, but then where would you go? Your purpose is here, is it not? 

“I could move abroad – make a new life for myself. I regularly see job advertisements for Potions staff in research departments, within foreign ministries for example. I am well qualified for such posts.” 

Slytherin looked at him dubiously. “If you were ever going to do that, it would have happened already. Dreams of happier times elsewhere can give us temporary comfort but I suspect that they are merely an illusion. Unless, that is, you wish to turn into a selfish person who is only interested in gratifying his own needs. I wouldn’t think that’s your style though, Severus.” 

The unexpected compliment warmed him. “What is my style, then?” 

“Endurance. Sticking to the path which you have chosen for yourself, however hard it proves to be.” 

Severus grimaced, but did not deny it. “In that case, tell me - what must I do?” 

“Decide exactly how far you are willing to go in order to defend Hogwarts, protect the Slytherins, prepare for war and assist Lily Potter’s child. And knowing you, my old friend, you will not stop at half measures.” 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Volens Melius is a spell of my own invention. Although I have read and enjoyed many stories where Snape changes his ways on his own, and starts to treat Harry better, he's a highly stubborn person in canon, and in this story he's being asked to completely transform himself and act in a totally different way. I didn't think he could do it without some help. I should mention that Dumbledore in this story had been worried for some time about the prospect of losing Snape, even before the Gryffindor protest. He was therefore prepared and ready with a helpful suggestion when the time came!


	13. In the driving seat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All rights to the Harry Potter universe belong to JK Rowling. I don’t own Harry Potter.
> 
> A/N: Hello all. I’ve had quite a few comments and kudos since posting the last chapter which is lovely. Thanks very much to all of you!

_When the aim of any project is controversial, or in some way causes dissent or concern, other people’s opinions may influence how it is generally perceived. It will be important to come to terms with any issues arising from this promptly._

It was a very long night for Severus Snape. After leaving the Slytherin Tower, he returned to his quarters and tried to work out what to do next. Accepting that the repulsive Teaching Charter was almost certainly coming to Hogwarts, he knew that there were only two choices; either he handed in his resignation or he made himself comply. It didn’t matter how many times he thought it over, he could see no third option. 

Although very tired, Snape didn’t bother to try and sleep. He paced his quarters for several hours, desperately looking for a way forward. He felt like an animal trapped in a cage. He thought of Lily, and how deeply he regretted the disintegration of their friendship. That she should die was terrible enough, but her passing had also brought to an end all of his hopes for a reconciliation. Since then, he had never been able to bring her to mind without the familiar rush of guilt and regret. 

If he left Hogwarts now, then the task Dumbledore had given him all those years ago of watching over Potter during his school days would be less than half done. He didn’t care for the boy but it was a question of duty. Severus had been pushing away all thoughts of Potter over the past few days, but now he was unable to stop himself dwelling on their recent conversation. Potter had apologised for his father’s sins. It was tempting to think that he was lying, but Severus, like most of the Hogwarts teachers, was well practiced in distinguishing truths from lies. Potter’s apology had felt… sincere. Honest. And that had floored him entirely, though he hadn’t wanted to admit it to himself. 

Was Potter changing? Maturing? Was he, just possibly, not entirely like his father? Because James Potter had never apologised to him for anything, not once. He certainly would not have set up a study group and personally invited a group of Slytherins to join it, as his son had done this term. 

__

_“If you want to think of me as arrogant and fame-loving and a reckless, rule breaking show-off then I can’t stop you. But sir, please don’t ever think that I’d be a bully. I’ve been at the receiving end far too often to ever do anything like that.”_

What had the boy meant by that statement? Was he claiming to be bullied himself? Severus hadn’t noticed anything of the kind, and he really couldn’t imagine James Potter’s boy being preyed upon by others in that way. And even if it were so, then surely Minerva or Albus would have intervened and dealt with the issue. But again, there had been that feeling of sincerity in Potter’s words. In the past he had received complaints from various Slytherins about Potter, it was true. About the favouritism they saw him as the recipient of. About him getting extra points here and there. About him being allowed a broomstick in first year. But he had to admit to himself that no Slytherin had ever complained to him about being bullied by Potter. And if Potter wasn’t a bully himself then he couldn’t be exactly like his awful father. In which case… perhaps in character, he was Lily’s boy as well. It was a shocking notion, but he could not dismiss it. 

Lily would want him to look after her son, he knew that much. 

Severus was exhausted and nearing the end of his patience when a thought crossed his mind, like a distant speck of light appearing in the darkness. Both Dumbledore and Slytherin and spoken of how _Volens Melius_ could be used to help him to achieve his goals – but they had described those goals quite differently. He sat down at his writing desk, pulled a piece of parchment towards him and jotted down some notes. 

_Uses of Volens Melius – AD_

Remain at Hogwarts 

Deceive Slytherins as to loyalties 

Prepare to be Death Eater spy 

_Uses of Volens Melius – SS_

Defend Hogwarts 

Protect Slytherins 

Prepare for war 

Assist Potter 

What if, Severus thought to himself with a growing feeling of interest, he could agree to the spell, but not use it in the way that Dumbledore expected? Severus felt a distaste for the Headmaster’s ideas on the matter, other than the basic need to change how he taught in order to stay on at Hogwarts. He noted that the Headmaster had not even made any provision for him helping Potter - although presumably he would want that as well. But Severus didn’t like the idea of treating the Slytherin students merely as footnotes to this spell, as people to be duped and lied to. Slytherin’s ideas suited him far better; he liked the balance they offered between his various responsibilities, including his Head of House role. The Slytherins would be exceptionally vulnerable when the war came, and though he wouldn’t be able to save all of them, Severus wanted to protect as many as he could. He might be getting pushed into this spell, but perhaps – yes, perhaps he could secretly fashion it according to his own preferences. The Headmaster wouldn’t even know, as when _Volens Melius_ was first cast he would be required to mentally imagine his desired objective, and not to speak the words out loud 

Severus felt exhausted, but finally accepting of what needed to be done. He would make this work, he promised himself. He glanced at the clock. It was nearly morning; time for a new day to start. 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

“GET AWAY FROM HIM! LEAVE HIM ALONE!” 

Harry was jerked awake, instinctively reaching for his wand before he’d even opened his eyes properly and could find out what was happening. When he did so, two things became obvious – that it was Ron who was shouting, and Fred and George who he was shouting at. This was probably something to do with the fact that the twins were currently sitting on either side of Harry’s bed. 

“Impressive reflexes there, Harry,” Fred commented. “No need for hostilities though, it’s only us.” 

Harry lowered his wand slowly. “What’s going on? What time is it?” 

“Just before six,” Ron said. “I woke up and saw _them_.” He gestured to his brothers. “They were just sitting there and staring at you! Proper creepy, I thought.” 

“You two shouldn’t be here,” Seamus said to the twins. Like everyone else in their dorm, he’d been startled awake by Ron’s yelling. “And after yesterday’s early start, I’m not impressed by this.” 

“Sorry, one and all,” Fred said. “We’re not here to cause any harm, despite what our little brother might think. We just happened to stop by, that’s all.” 

“A chance visit,” George agreed. “Nothing more to it. We’d have been gone by now if Ron hadn’t seen us and started flapping unnecessarily. Mind you, all that early morning shouting did make me feel like I was back at home for a minute.” 

Harry glared at them. “Well personally, I’m glad Ron woke us all up. Nobody just comes and sits on someone’s bed while they’re asleep - Ron’s right, that is creepy. Did you do anything to my stuff? Or to me?” 

Fred placed a hand on his heart and looked saddened. “Your untoward suspicions wound me, Harry.” 

“I think he’s got every right to be suspicious,” Dean said knowingly. 

“Too right,” Ron said, and Neville and Seamus nodded. 

“We’re getting heckled by the audience, Fred.” 

“I blame the parents, George. Though not Mum, of course - she’d never let me hear the end of it.” 

“Don’t you DARE!” Harry yelled, making them both stare at him in surprise. “I am in no mood for your usual double act right now. You’re out of line, and I think you both know it. Now you’d better tell me why you’re really here, and if I don’t get a good enough explanation then I’m going to find Percy and get him to deal with you.” 

“Oh, you mean your new big brother?” Fred said with a grimace. “Yeah Harry, we know all about that. Ron told Ginny and she told us. We were wondering what Percy meant yesterday when he said you were one of us now, so we asked some searching questions.” 

“So what?” Harry said. “It’s not a secret. And it’s just an honorary thing anyway. Don’t dodge the issue, tell me why you’re here.” 

Fred and George glanced around the dorm, and at the listening boys. “We didn’t do anything to you, or your things,” Fred said. “We were just thinking about waking you up for a little chat.” 

“Well go on then,” Harry insisted. “Have your _little chat._ I’m really very wide awake now, as is everyone else in the room, thanks to you.” 

“Alright,” George said. “We wanted to know if this new arrangement you’ve got with Percy also covers any other members of the Weasley family. Namely, us. Are we your brothers too now?” 

Harry stared at them. “You’re joking, right? This is your twisted idea of a joke, is it?” 

“It’s a serious question,” Fred said, looking self-conscious but determined. “So, what’s the answer?” 

He looked at them, trying to work out what was really going on. “We’re just honorary brothers. It’s only pretend, you know? I’m not really Percy’s brother.” 

“We’re good at pretending,” George said. “We can pretend with the best of them.” 

Ron was studying the twins carefully. “They’re not joking, Harry. I think they really want to know if they can be your brothers.” 

“We do,” they said simultaneously. 

Harry sighed. Perhaps he should have felt flattered that two more Weasleys wanted to sign up for his imaginary family, but it just seemed like a really tiresome thing to have to deal with at far-too-early o‘clock. “Maybe we should go somewhere private and talk about this.” 

“Hardly seems any point now that we’re this far into the conversation,” Fred said. “Is it a yes, then? Because we’ve each only got the five brothers and we feel severely deprived of siblings.” 

“Thanks for the offer,” Harry said levelly, “but I’ll have to decline.” 

The twins seemed surprised at this. “You’re saying no to our generous proposal?” George asked. 

“Yeah, that’s what declining usually means,” Ron said cheerfully. 

“I’m saying no,” Harry confirmed. “I’m happy to have you both as friends but I don’t think having you as brothers as well is a good idea.” 

“Why not?” Fred asked. “We’d make much better brothers than Percy. I know he did well with the protest yesterday, but he’s duller than Professor Binns most of the time.” 

“I don’t think he is,” Harry said, feeling close to losing his temper. “Look, thanks again for the offer but I’d rather not. Now as we’re all awake and I suppose it’s time to get up, maybe you could leave so that we can get ready?” 

“Not until you explain why you’re rejecting us” Fred said. “Our little hearts are all aching now. I think we have a right to know why the answer’s no.” 

“Do you?” Harry snapped. “You really want to know why? Because I can tell you right now, you won’t like it.” 

“Probably best you tell us, Harry. Then we can clear away any unfortunate misunderstandings you might have about us. People often misunderstand us, much to our disadvantage,” George said. 

“And then you can add us to your collection of pretend brothers, which will make you much better off,” Fred added. “Your life will be a lot more fun that way. George and me, we’re the very definition of entertaining. I for one find it a bit offensive that you wouldn’t jump at the chance of being our brothers.” 

“Me too, Fred. Well, maybe he’s feeling sorry now for his poor decision-making and he’s going to tell us that we were right all along, agreed Harry?” 

Harry decided he’d had enough. “Fine, you want to know the reason behind my decision on this? Then here it is. I’ve seen enough of the way that you treat Ron to know that you’re the very last people who I’d choose as my brothers. Percy has been generous and kind towards me. He’s helped with the quest and he volunteered to lead the protest, even though he had little to gain and _everything_ to lose from it. He was even willing to give up being Head Boy for me! That wasn’t only brave, it was really unselfish as well. But you two – your idea of being a brother to Ron is mocking him and playing practical jokes on him all the time. The day that the Danger Club news broke, you chose to sit back and enjoy watching Ron come under fire from most of the school, when instead you could have helped him. When have you ever, even once, done something half as unselfish for Ron as Percy did for me? You don’t need a new brother; you need to treat the one you already have better.” 

Fred and George listened to him with increasingly grim and flushed faces until he’d finished speaking. Then without a word, they both turned and left the room. 

“Oh, that was fierce!” Seamus said excitedly. “Harry, you really tore into the pair of them!” 

“It was worth being woken up to see it!” Dean agreed. Neville didn’t say anything, but he obviously had the same opinion. 

“They deserved it,” Harry said shortly. 

“Are you okay, Harry?” Neville asked. 

“Yeah, I’m fine. Ron – how about you?” 

Ron nodded, and grinned at him. “I’m good. Thanks for what you said. I mean, really – thanks.” 

“You’re welcome. I tell you what though, we’d better talk to Hermione about this. I don’t want them getting in here again, at least not without us being warned. Maybe she can tell us some spells we can cast to make it harder for them to sneak in.” 

“Good idea,” Ron said. “Listen guys, can you all keep this to yourselves? I’d rather it not be talked about all round the school. I’m sure Fred and George won’t say anything.” 

“No problem,” Neville said, and Dean and Seamus nodded their agreement. 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

Harry and Ron told Hermione the whole tale over breakfast. Fred and George weren’t around so they were able to speak freely. Since he’d now calmed down, Harry was feeling a bit regretful about having been so very frank with the twins. 

“Maybe I should have insisted on a private conversation,” he said. “Or maybe I should have found a more tactful way of turning them down. I suppose it was nice of them to offer to be my brothers.” 

“Well, that partly depends on their motive for offering,” Hermione said. “Did they do it because they wanted to, or because they wanted to take away something of Percy’s? If I know those two, they probably think they’re better than Percy - and they don’t like that you might think differently.” 

“They were the ones who kept pushing it,” Ron pointed out, “and you did warn them. I agree with Hermione. Don’t worry about them.” 

“The thing is though Ron, I still haven’t got over what George said, about me not knowing anything about what families are like. I feel a bit angry about that sometimes. And then they come in and start acting like they know what’s best for me… it was a bit much.” 

Ron nodded knowingly. “George did apologise to you about that, but I’ve heard him say it like that before – you know, just mouthing the words to make a bad situation go away. Both of them do it all the time when Mum gets going. I reckon you’d have forgiven him if you thought he really was sorry.” 

“Maybe. Anyway, I guess it’s done now.” 

“Perhaps you should think about more immediate concerns,” Hermione said. “Namely, we have Potions first thing this morning with the Slytherins… and Professor Snape.” 

Ron and Harry both pulled a face at this. They’d been successful at avoiding Snape the previous afternoon and evening, but now there was no choice but to see him up close. The Slytherins, as well. They’d been quiet yesterday evening at dinner, with no visible signs of the raging disorder that Blaise had referred to; it had made Harry wonder what was going on below the apparently calm surface. 

“I don’t think we should say anything about the Charter when we see the Slytherins,” Harry said. “I mean, let’s not gloat or anything. I don’t want to make any trouble for Blaise and Theo, for one thing.” 

“I knew you were going to say that,” Ron said mournfully. “All this being friendly with Slytherins, it’ll come back to bite you one day, Harry. Well, when they’ve lulled you into a false sense of security and you lower your guard and then end up kidnapped and subjected to some terrible dark magic ritual, don’t come crying to me!” 

“If that happens, I promise to humbly apologise for not taking you seriously,” Harry said with a grin. “I’ll send you a really regretful letter from my hospital bed to say so.” 

Ron smirked. “Since you’re so pally with the snakes now, I’ll leave you to deal with Malfoy if he kicks off today. You can do that nicey-nicey thing that he hates so much. I do like watching that.” 

“It’ll be a pleasure,” Harry grinned. “I know exactly what I’ll say to him. Oh, and Hermione, we were wondering – do you know any spells that could stop the twins coming into our dorm? Or some kind of warning spell, so we’ll know if they try?” 

“Well yes, possibly,” she said with interest. “I’ll need to do some research. You’d want a spell that isn’t too restrictive, so that it still allows access in case they ever had a genuine reason to be there. Now that the quest is nearly over, I should have a little more time to visit the library.” Harry and Ron glanced at each other in dismay. “What?” Hermione asked. 

“Well, it’s a bit sad to think that the quest might finish soon.” Harry said. “I’m not ready to let go of it just yet.” 

“And I’ve only just started it!” Ron added. 

She smiled at them. “You’ll just have to look for another quest; that’s what my father does with his Almost Impossible challenges. His current marathon-running one is his sixteenth, I believe. Maybe this time, choose one that you can work on right from the start together.” 

Harry frowned. “Maybe, but it’d be hard to come up with something as good as this one. And I wouldn’t want to - not right away. It would be like if Crookshanks died, and you went out and bought another cat half an hour later.” 

Ron laughed at this, while Hermione looked surprised. “Well that’s a funny way of putting it Harry, but I see your point – it’s too soon.” 

“Yeah, leave it a couple of hours at least,” Ron said with a smirk. “Mind you, Mum always says you shouldn’t count your chickens, and all that.” 

“Meaning that the quest isn’t over until the Charter is approved? Yes, I suppose so,” Hermione said. “I do wonder what actual changes it will bring with it. I’m very excited by the prospect of improved teaching standards across the board.” 

“I’m very excited about seeing the Slytherins’ faces when Snape has to be polite to us in Potions class,” Ron said gleefully. “And speaking of Potions, I guess we should be heading there now.” 

They arrived at the Potions classroom with five minutes to spare. Most of the other Slytherins and Gryffindors were already in the corridor next to the closed door, standing well apart and glaring at each other. Malfoy sneered horribly at them and stalked over. 

“I suppose you Gryffindors think you’re clever, coming up with that ludicrous Charter,” he said. “Well, don’t think it’s going to be accepted; I’m sure my father will have a good deal of influence on that score. I’ve already written to him and brought the matter to his attention. You wait and see, that Charter will be scrapped before you know it!” 

Harry put on a well-faked expression of surprise and distress. “Malfoy, am I to understand from what you’ve just said that you don’t like the Charter? Surely not! After all, it offers as much protection to Slytherins as it does to the other three Houses.” 

“Really?” Malfoy snarled. “We know what your little game is, Potter, don’t try and fool us.” 

Harry sighed. “I can see that you’re upset, Malfoy. And I hope you’ll forgive me if I’ve been tactless. I had _no idea_ you were so fond of History of Magic classes.” 

Malfoy stared at him. “What are you talking about, Potter?” 

He leaned towards Malfoy and lowered his voice a fraction, although all of the listening students could still hear him. “Well, just between us – if the Charter does go ahead, we think Professor Binns is going to have to make considerable changes to his lessons. That doesn’t upset you, I hope? I would have thought that even Slytherins found his lessons boring, but we live and learn. Oh wait, is he an ancestor of yours or something? If so, please accept my profound apologies – I certainly wouldn’t want to insult the House of Malfoy!” 

“Of course he’s not an ancestor!” Malfoy snapped. “And it’s not just History classes that would be affected by this charter, as you know very well. This whole thing is a personal attack on—” 

“On who?” Harry said, as Malfoy stopped talking abruptly. “Oh, are you thinking about Professor Trelawney? Yes, I see what you mean. I didn’t know that Divination is a class that you’re fond of too. I expect there won’t be too many changes needed there, so don’t worry. Just a bit less of all that _‘You’re going to die horribly before next Tuesday!’_ stuff that Trelawney always comes out with, that’s all. How’s your Inner Eye doing these days, then? Perhaps you need to work on it more. Didn’t you see all of this before it happened in your tea leaves?” 

Malfoy was red with annoyance “You’ll pay for this Charter business, Potter – all of you will!” 

Harry sighed. “You know Malfoy, it distresses me to see you so angry with us Gryffindors. And we put so much effort into developing new teaching standards to make everything fair and just across the four Houses. We were thinking about you Slytherins too, you know. We wanted to help you. Is that so wrong? Perhaps you ought to try and see the bright side. I think this could be the dawn of a new age of co-operation and mutual respect between Gryffindor and Slytherin Houses. Don’t you think that sounds like a _really good idea_?” 

Malfoy stared at him, baffled and still angry, but was saved by the necessity of answering when Professor Snape opened the door and told them curtly to come in. As Malfoy walked away, Harry caught Blaise’s eye and gave him a quick wink. Blaise smiled discreetly in response. 

“Nicely done,” Ron whispered with a grin as they walked to their bench. 

As everyone took their places, there was a clear tension in the room. The third-year Gryffindors were very conscious of the fact that theirs was the first class taught by Snape since yesterday lunchtime, when they had all stood up and called for improved teaching standards – and while no names had been mentioned, Snape had to know that they had him in mind. As a result, they very much expected the worst. They’d all experienced Potions lessons when Snape was in a vile temper – those immediately after the boggart incident, for example – and going back to that again made everyone worried. However, for whatever reason it really wasn’t too bad. Snape was as intimidating as usual, and he monitored their work with his normal sharp scrutiny. His snide, sarcastic air was less prominent than usual though, and he didn’t pick on any of the Gryffindors in particular. Harry noticed that the Slytherins seemed a little uneasy; he suspected they were also unsure of what the situation was, and perhaps they were wondering what to expect from now on in Snape’s lessons. Harry allowed himself to relax a little and focus on his work. Whatever was going on with Snape, he thought that the signs were hopeful. Perhaps there were grounds for feeling cautiously optimistic. 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

After dinner that evening, Blaise returned to his dorm to drop off his school books and pick up some homework. He spent some time chatting with Theo as he gathered together the things he needed for that evening’s third-year study group. 

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come to give you moral support?” Theo asked. “I wouldn’t mind. I know study group is normally fine, but the whole evening will probably focus on the Gryffindor protest and they might have a go at you about it.” 

Blaise grinned. “They might try, but I can look after myself. I can always leave early if necessary; Harry wouldn’t have a problem with that. He messaged me earlier to say I didn’t have to show up at all if I wanted to, but we do have a deal and I always keep my promises as you know, so I assured him I’d be there. I’d rather not take anyone else with me this week at least, though; the others might think it surprising if we provide more than the minimum number of people, given the current circumstances.” 

“Well, don’t forget to be back by 9pm for the all-House meeting. By the way, what have you told Harry about how things are around here?” 

“Not much,” Blaise said, putting his homework in his bag. “I can’t really say anything. You know, Theo, I really hope the other Slytherins get used to the idea of a Teaching Charter soon - because I’m pretty certain that one of the reasons that Professor Snape wants to see us tonight is to tell us it’s coming in.” 

Theo glanced across at him, reading his expression easily. “You feel guilty, because you knew about all of it in advance and couldn’t say anything.” 

Blaise sighed. “A little. And I don’t like feeling guilty about things; it’s not my normal mindset.” 

“I’m well aware,” Theo said drily. “Do you wish that Harry hadn’t warned you?” 

“No, I think I’m glad I knew. It’s just… have I done the right thing, helping him this term?” 

Theo leaned back in his armchair and smiled. “Of course you have. You did it because you wanted to improve your Herbology grades and protect Professor Snape. Both of those things seem to be working out just fine. I know the others are taking this hard, but they’ll come around. After all, nobody here was ever going to support a Gryffindor-led plan! They think it’s an attack on us dressed up as a genuine improvement. Only you and I know that it really is meant to be a genuine improvement.” 

Blaise nodded. “True. The Charter itself is, to be honest, perfectly reasonable. There would be no grounds to be worried about it, if it wasn’t for the fact that…” 

Theo grinned. “Go on, finish the sentence, I dare you.” 

“If it wasn’t for the fact that Professor Snape doesn’t meet most of its provisions,” Blaise said ruefully. “And although the Gryffindors cleverly didn’t name names, everyone knows that Professor Snape was one of their prime targets. It’s so annoying that the Charter has nothing in it about Head of House responsibilities specifically. Professor Snape really could have shone there, a lot more than McGonagall! From what Harry’s told me, it’s obvious that she’s an adequate Head of Gryffindor, but nothing exceptional. I know she’s backed him up with his plans for reform, but I do wonder if she’d have done the same if a different student was involved - someone who wasn’t the Boy Who Lived.” 

“What does Harry think of her?” 

“He’s grateful for her help with the quest, and he respects her, I think. That’s as far as it goes. I don’t think she ever spends time with the Gryffindors socially or anything. And yet, it’s _our_ Head of House who might be in trouble as a result of this.” 

“Slytherins are pragmatic,” Theo said thoughtfully. “We adjust to suit changing circumstances. Professor Snape will find his way forward, I expect.” 

“But Theo… what if he doesn’t? You know that people are saying he might resign. Bletchley and Pucey are claiming this could well be his last term. I did this to help him, not to drive him away from the school!” 

Theo shook his head. “He won’t leave. Trust me on this, Blaise, okay?” 

He sighed. “Okay. You could be right. I hope you are. I had to do something though; when Harry first told me about his plan to improve Potions lessons, I knew I had to. Theo, we could work hard our whole lives and still not accumulate a quarter of the fame and influence that Harry already has in his hands! I don’t think he even realises the power that gives him. Up to now, he’s certainly never made use of any of it – but that could quickly change, now that he’s become motivated to improve school standards. The Minister would listen to him. The Prophet would publish anything he asked them to. Public opinion would be swayed if he spoke out against Professor Snape, possibly enough to cost him his job - and maybe even enough to prevent him from finding another one. I was afraid of all of that happening, Theo.” 

“You did the right thing,” Theo assured him. “And I hope you believe me, because we both know you’ll never be able to tell anyone else about this…” 

Blaise grinned. “It’s just as well I plan to stay as your friend, Theo. If we fell out then you’ve got enough damaging information on me to destroy my reputation and standing in Slytherin House about fifteen times over!” 

“Ah, the power!” Theo said with a smile. “Anyway, think of this – that well known and influential Gryffindor, with all the desirable qualities that you just mentioned, is now _your_ friend. Now that wasn’t something you planned when this all started but as side benefits go, it’s pretty useful.” 

Blaise smiled, but he was still somewhat preoccupied. “Do you remember the end of our first year, when the Headmaster took our House Cup victory away from us at the last minute by giving all of those points to Harry and his friends?” 

“Of course - that’s not something I’ll forget in a hurry. Why do you mention it?” 

“It was like we were all one gigantic storm, after we went back to the common room that evening,” he replied thoughtfully. “We raged and we howled and we yelled, all of us. I did too; I was part of the storm, part of the whole. And there hasn’t been an occasion like that again – until last Sunday afternoon, when everyone completely lost it about the Charter. But on Sunday I had to pretend to be within the storm, to put on a face of surprise and anger and resentment which I didn’t truly feel. That was… uncomfortable.” 

Theo nodded understandingly. “In first year, it was a simple them and us situation. Now a ‘them’ is your friend. That’s bound to make life more challenging. I feel the same myself; I don’t know Harry as well as you, but I like what I’ve seen so far.” 

“You’re right,” Blaise agreed. “Perhaps that’s the problem. The thing is, I’ve given Harry a lot of advice over the last few weeks. I’ve tried to teach him how to see things in a different way. What I didn’t expect was that I’d see things in a different way too, as a result of becoming his friend.” 

Theo looked at him curiously. “You’re reassessing your opinions? About what, exactly?” 

Blaise sighed. “I… look, what do we Slytherins always say when the subject of how Professor Snape treats the Gryffindors comes up?” 

“That they’re meant to be the brave ones, but if they don’t have the courage to stand up to Professor Snape or do something about the way he acts towards them, then they deserve to be poorly treated,” Theo replied. “Though of course, I suppose we can’t say that any more, can we? Because now, they have stood up to him.” 

“Exactly! But Theo, should they really have needed to in the first place? Professor Snape looks after us, and as the Head of Slytherin I don’t think he could do any better. But he’s everyone’s Potions teacher as well. I just don’t like it nowadays when I see him have a go at Harry, or Neville for that matter. I can’t dismiss it any more. I feel bad for them. I suppose for the first time I can really see the Gryffindor point of view, with regard to Professor Snape’s teaching practices at least.” 

Theo looked thoughtful. “I don’t think you should worry too much over events which are outside your control. Tell me this; who is the one person who could have made Professor Snape change his ways years ago, if he’d wanted to?” 

“Dumbledore,” Blaise said immediately. 

“Exactly. Why should you go through agonies of guilt over what Professor Snape does or doesn’t do to the Gryffs, when his boss, the man who makes all the decisions in this place, has always let him get away with it? Dumbledore’s the one who ought to feel bad, not you!” 

“Are you telling me that I can officially feel better?” Blaise said with a smile. 

“I’m telling you that if you believe that Harry and his friends were in the right, which I admit is a reasonable opinion to have, then why feel bad for helping them? Professor Snape has terrorised Gryffindors mercilessly for a long time now – but all good things come to an end, as they say.” 

Blaise laughed. He did feel better for talking with his friend. “You make a good point. I’d better go, Theo. It’s nearly 6.30.” 

“Okay. I’ll finish off my Astronomy paper while you’re away.” 

As they both returned to the common room, Malfoy came over. “Zabini, are you going to that stupid study group tonight?” 

He put on a discontented expression. “Sadly, yes. As you know, I have a contract with Potter. Why do you ask?” 

“If they say anything important – you know, about that rubbishy Charter – make sure you let me know immediately,” Malfoy said insistently. “I wrote to my Father yesterday afternoon and heard back from him this morning. He said that he’s been trying to get it quashed, but apparently the Board of Governors won’t listen to him and Fudge isn’t being as helpful as he should be on the matter.” 

“I’ll update you as soon as possible after I return,” Blaise said. 

“Good,” Malfoy replied, and went back to sit by Crabbe and Goyle. 

“One day, we’ll do something for him and he’ll actually thank us,” Theo murmured softly. 

Blaise grinned. “He’s a Malfoy; their idea of thanking someone is not attempting to curse them and steal all their gold. See you later.” 

Blaise felt more cheerful as he made his way to the study group. The last day and a half had been extremely stressful. He absolutely hadn’t expected the storm of negative reactions that the Gryffindors’ actions had generated within Slytherin House. Thinking it over, he’d realised that his assessment of the planned protest as not being a matter for major concern came from his discussions with Harry, and his awareness that the Gryffindors’ intentions were honourable. The others didn’t have that reassurance. This had fallen on them out of a clear sky, and it was no wonder that they felt blindsided. Percy Weasley was probably now the most unpopular Gryffindor around, even topping the terrible Weasley twins who most Slytherins loathed emphatically. Blaise did wonder though what would happen if the rest of his House found out that Harry was the author of the Charter. He hoped fervently that this was one secret which didn’t ever see the light of day. 

“Hello all,” he said as he strolled into the study group meeting room. “Apologies for being a few minutes late, I had to go back to my dorm and pick up some work.” 

“No problem,” Harry said with a friendly grin. “There’s a seat next to Hermione.” 

Blaise sat down, surveying the crowd and considering how likely it was that they’d give him any trouble. It would be alright, he decided. Most of those present were people he’d spoken to before at study group meetings and was on good terms with. Hermione was focused on her books but looked up long enough to give him a quick smile. Seamus, Dean and Neville were together – they said hello, and Neville waved at him happily from the other side of the table. Terry and Anthony gave him a cheerful nod of welcome, and the two Patil twins were deep in discussion with Lavender, Hannah and Susan. The only unknown was Ron Weasley, present for the first time and looking across at him with a certain amount of cautious suspicion. Harry had mentioned that Ron knew about their friendship now and was fine with it (well, that was Harry’s opinion – Blaise wanted to develop his own view), and also that Ron had joined in with the quest now. Blaise suspected that in fact Ron had merely decided to tolerate Harry’s Slytherin connections because he didn’t want to upset his friend by being openly critical. However, Blaise wasn’t concerned, even if that was so; he had full confidence in his own powers of charm and persuasion. He gave Ron a cheerful smile, which the other boy awkwardly returned. 

“Are there any other Slytherins coming tonight?” Dean asked. 

“No, not tonight – but they’ll be back next week,” he said casually. “How are you getting on with Charms homework, Dean? I’ve been struggling with my essay a bit.” 

“Oh right, let’s compare notes then,” Dean said. 

It took longer than Blaise had expected before the others tried to draw him out on the subject of the Teaching Charter and the previous day’s protest. Nearly twenty minutes passed before Susan raised the subject. 

“So, Blaise, if you don’t mind me asking; what’s your opinion of the Charter? I know most Slytherins aren’t in favour but I wasn’t sure if you would think differently.” 

He gave her an easy smile. “Well, there are arguments either way. It’s quite a big change.” 

“I take it you’re not prepared to say what you think, then?” Terry asked with a grin. “Mr. Discreet, as always.” 

He smiled at Terry. “It doesn’t matter what I think. I’m not the one who’ll decide whether it should be introduced or not.” 

“It’s definitely going to happen,” Parvati said. “Did you know that the Professors met last night to discuss it? According to Hagrid, almost all of them were in favour. There was only the one Professor who really didn’t like the idea – can you guess who it was?” 

“Let’s not press Blaise on the subject,” Harry said, coming to his rescue. “You know he _never_ tells us any useful Slytherin gossip.” 

“That’s not my function,” Blaise declared with an autocratic wave of the hand. “I grace this group with my presence to amuse and enhance your otherwise dull lives.” Most of the others grinned at this; over the past few weeks, Blaise had become quite a popular member of the study group. 

“What do you do to amuse people, then?” Ron asked. “Do you know any jokes?” 

Blaise’s eyes sparkled. “I had a very unsuccessful shopping trip over the summer. I went to Diagon Alley to buy an invisibility cloak but I couldn’t see any!” The others groaned at this, and he smirked at them unashamedly. 

“You really shouldn’t encourage him,” Harry said with a smile. “He knows jokes that are even more terrible than that.” 

Ron grinned. “I’ve heard worse. Think I might tell Mum that one, she’d probably think it was really funny. Dad definitely would.” 

“Blaise, if you were a muggle then you could easily find a job writing the jokes at a Christmas cracker factory,” Dean said with a grin. “The muggle crackers all have terrible jokes in.” 

“I’m flattered,” he replied cheerfully, “but the Sorting Hat put me in Slytherin because it realised that I had ambitions which were _slightly_ above writing Christmas crackers…” 

“Pull the other one,” Terry said, grinning. They groaned even louder. 

Ron glanced quizzically across at Harry. “So, do people get much studying done here usually?” 

“We mix work and gossip,” he replied with a smile. “It makes it fun.” 

Ron nodded thoughtfully. “Yeah, I suppose that would keep people interested. I’m glad I came along.” Blaise saw Harry visibly relax and smiled to himself. Ron Weasley, he decided, would not be any trouble. 

The study group ended just after 8.30pm, and Blaise bid everyone a cheerful good night before returning to the Slytherin common room. Malfoy immediately came over to him. 

“Any news?” 

“Only that there was a meeting of the Professors to discuss the Charter last night and apparently with the exception of Professor Snape, most of them voted in favour of it.” 

Malfoy pulled a face. “Typical. Nothing else?” 

“No, I’m afraid not.” 

“Shame. I was hoping to find out who came up with this whole idea. It can’t have been Percy Weasley, I wouldn’t have thought.” 

“Oh, I don’t know,” Blaise said carelessly. “Our illustrious Head Boy wants a career in the Ministry. He’ll be applying for jobs soon. If this was his plan, it’s a fairly innovative way to publicise himself.” 

“You could be right,” Malfoy said thoughtfully. “Well, hopefully Professor Snape will have more information.” 

Professor Snape arrived in the Slytherin common room at exactly 9pm, by which time every Slytherin student was present. “Good evening to you all,” he said. “Thank you for assembling for our first all-House meeting of the term. For the benefit of the first-years, I should explain that all-House meetings are different from our normal meetings in that they focus on a specific issue which is of concern to us all. In this case, I need not tell you what the issue is. You should feel free to speak your mind, and do not hesitate to ask any questions that you might have. For my part, I will give you as much information as I can, and answer your questions as honestly and completely as possible. Of course, nothing that we discuss here can ever be spoken of outside Slytherin territory.” 

Snape paused for a moment, allowing space for any immediate questions, but none were asked at that point. “So, let me update you on developments since we last spoke yesterday afternoon. At a staff meeting yesterday evening, following a short discussion about the Teaching Charter a majority of Professors gave their support to it. I did not, of course, but that will count for little as most of my colleagues took an opposing view. The Headmaster said he is also in favour but he intends to allow the Board of Governors to decide whether it will be introduced or not. He is meeting with them tomorrow.” 

One of the second-years raised their hand. “If the Headmaster is in favour of it, why is he prepared to allow the Governors to decide? Couldn’t they potentially overrule him?” 

“A good question, Mr. Morden,” Snape replied. “Well, firstly it’s because he has every expectation that they will back it too. Several of them have already said as much. And secondly, I don’t actually think he would mind very much if it didn’t go ahead. This isn’t his initiative, and some of the issues it will bring with it are very challenging, not to mention time consuming.” 

Blaise, like most of the other Slytherins, took this to mean that the Headmaster didn’t care much either way, and would allow events to play out and work with whichever outcome they delivered. There were various questions that he was thinking about asking, but in such situations as this he preferred to allow other people to speak first, so that he could gauge the mood of the room before expressing his own thoughts. 

“When will we know what the Governors decide, Sir?” Pansy Parkinson asked. 

“Probably in a couple of days. I should mention that your concerns about the Charter were touched upon in the discussions, and the Headmaster did offer to work with me to address any objections that you all have about it.” The Slytherins looked amused at this. 

“Professor, now that you’ve had chance to think it all over, do you believe that this is a deliberate and organised attack on Slytherin House or not?” Alana Runcorn asked. 

Snape frowned. “In all honesty, after contemplating the matter for some time, I think not. Oh, I am sure that some Gryffindors were influenced by the idea of harming our House, or myself personally. However, others probably joined in the protest through loyalty to their own House, or because they genuinely wanted to influence teaching practices in the school. And I have to concede that the leading involvement of Percy Weasley suggests this was never planned with the primary intention of damaging us. Weasley senior, unlike his three tiresome brothers, shows no significant anti-Slytherin bias and is of a studious and law-abiding disposition. I also think that there are very few members of Gryffindor House who would be willing to go that far, or have the brains to come up with such a scheme for that matter.” 

“Has the Headmaster consulted with Minister Fudge yet, sir?” Astoria Greengrass asked. 

“Yes, I understand that the Headmaster spoke to the Minister today. It seems he’s all for the idea.” 

There was an immediate outcry from Malfoy at this. “Surely Fudge ought to know better than to come out on the side of those Gryffindors!” he exclaimed. 

“He is a politician, Mr. Malfoy, which means that he likes to be on the winning side – or to be seen to be, at least,” Snape said with a wry smile. “And don’t forget, it’s not just the Gryffindors. The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs backed it too. Much as I hate to admit it, it looks very much like we have no grounds to stop this Charter.” 

“But Professor, what are we going to do about the Gryffindors?” Terrence Higgs asked. “They’ve been completely insufferable today. They think they’ve beaten us, and they’re showing off and boasting about it to anyone who’ll listen.” 

“We are not beaten,” Snape said forcefully. “They can think that if they wish - but we know better. Sometimes you have to play the long game, Mr. Higgs. Let them revel in their little triumph, while we plan for the future.” 

Cassius Warrington raised his hand. “I’m glad to hear you talk that way, Professor. I have to admit though, I’m not exactly sure what we should do next. Or – if you don’t mind me asking – what you will do next.” 

There was a hushed silence at this point as the Slytherins waited nervously for his answer. “Speaking personally, I have decided that I will adapt,” he said slowly. “It will not be easy, I know that, but I will make it work. Important priorities brought me to this school as a Professor some years ago, and those same priorities are leading me to stay. I intend to continue to teach Potions and to be your Head of House. You matter to me, all of you, and I will do whatever is required to make that happen.” Snape saw their obvious relief, and smiled slightly. “They won’t get rid of me that easily!” The Slytherins burst into a round of applause, which he acknowledged with a pleased nod. 

“We’re all glad to hear that, Sir,” Gemma Farley called out, and it was the truth; Professor Snape was a very well-regarded figure among the Slytherins. 

“Thank you, Miss Farley. To return to Mr. Warrington’s comments, let us consider the matter from your perspective, and from mine. Firstly, as to myself. I will have to curb some of my more – firm teaching approaches. You will not be affected by this very much, and certainly not to your detriment if so. Of course, I will have to start giving out marks to students from other Houses a lot more. I will need to be… less acerbic to students from other Houses. My lessons and my general approach to working in this school will be adjusted as required to comply with the Charter. All of this will take some getting used to, but I have a plan to move forward which I will implement soon. For yourselves, well… you know that I normally settle any disciplinary matters privately with you. That may not be the case in future; I will have to respond more openly when dealing with any issues concerning Slytherin students which are brought to my attention from now on. This is something you should bear in mind. However, there will be no effect on our chances of winning the Quidditch Cup, as far as I can see. Also, your grades and points earned should be unchanged in most classes, if not improved in some. The House Cup, now that will be harder to attain – but as long as you all do your best in both work and conduct then you will hear no complaints from me, even if we never win it again.” 

Theo put up his hand. “Professor, will this also affect other classes? History of Magic, for example. That’s completely dire.” 

Snape nodded. “Yes. In fact, History of Magic is probably the largest single problem that will arise from rolling out the Charter. The Headmaster has not taken me into his confidence on that topic - but if I were a betting man, I would wager a term’s salary on Professor Binns being coincidentally appointed to some newly invented, non-teaching role quite rapidly. I suspect the teaching in Care of Magical Creatures lessons also will need to be adapted, although of course I’m sure the infamous Danger Club already have that well in hand.” He smiled, and the Slytherins laughed. 

Blaise, who was greatly relieved by Professor Snape’s decision, decided that now would be the moment to speak. “Professor, as Mr. Higgs said I’m sure that none of us want to be at the receiving end of Gryffindor bragging about this for the rest of term. They might have won the battle, but do we have to lose it?” 

Snape gave him an approving look. “Well Mr. Zabini, you tell me – do we?” 

“Not so much, Sir, no. If this Charter is going to be foisted upon us, we could employ some damage limitation by coming out with the official line that we’re fine with it. Yes, it was a shock at first, we admit that, but we’ve come to terms with it now, and we look forward to the positive benefits it might bring - end of story, there are more interesting things to think about, let’s move on.” 

“And if the other students mention me?” 

“Oh, then we just say that like every teacher employed at Hogwarts, you’ll teach in accordance with the standards which are laid down. It’s nothing to make a fuss about. Also, some strategic references to potential alterations to History of Magic class should help to deflect the conversation away from yourself.” 

“I see. Does anyone else have any thoughts on Mr. Zabini’s suggestion?” 

“He’s right,” Marcus Flint said. “I suggest we take that line right away. Not too positive, mind you, we don’t want to look like sycophants so we play it nice and casual. We can just treat the whole thing as something we’re not that bothered about either way. At least then the entire situation stops being about how the Gryffindors put one over on us. As for House Points, there are classes such as Care of Magical Creatures where we’re disadvantaged compared to other Houses. We can use the Charter to challenge any Professors who don’t give us the points we’ve earned.” The other Slytherins nodded or murmured their approval. With the realisation that they now had a workable strategy for controlling the situation, the mood of the room quickly shifted into something lighter and more optimistic. 

“I quite agree,” Snape said. “Twenty points each, Mr. Zabini and Mr. Flint, for your positive contributions to this discussion.” Blaise smiled; he was pleased that his suggestion had been well received. “To make that stance effective, you will all need to avoid any open conflicts with other students in the immediate future.” 

“But Professor, won’t my father be able to put a stop to this nonsense?” Malfoy said petulantly. “He’s very influential with Minister Fudge usually, and I would have thought that Fudge would listen to him more. Those Gryffindors need to be dealt with, and their stupid Charter should be thrown in the bin, where it belongs!” Blaise saw several of the older students exchange discreet glances of amusement at this. Though Malfoy was one of the most prominent of the younger students, Blaise knew that the seniors had a poor opinion of him; they saw him as spoilt, immature and lacking in subtlety, though they didn’t say so openly. 

“Your father is a highly influential man, but nobody can win every argument, Mr. Malfoy,” Professor Snape replied gravely, “and in this case, we are rather outnumbered; we have the Minister, most of the school including the Professors, and apparently the Governors too, backing the Charter. This being the case, it’s time to stop reacting and start acting. Look for ways to use the new Charter when it’s implemented for your own benefit, all of you. I will do the same. Are there any more questions? No? In that case, I will wish you all a good night,” Snape said, and left the room. 

Blaise, who was feeling in a thoroughly good mood now, spent the next hour chatting with Theo, Millicent, Tracy, Daphne and Alana. Everyone felt more cheerful, now that they had received an assurance that Professor Snape would remain. Blaise was complimented by a number of the other Slytherins for his approach to working the problem. He could see that Malfoy, sitting a short distance away with Crabbe and Goyle, was still smarting from the injustice of the situation as he saw it. There were regular mentions of ‘my father’ as Malfoy ranted to the other two, who listened dutifully and nodded every now and again. From time to time, Harry tried (with what he probably thought of as tact and finesse) to get Blaise to share his real opinion of Malfoy. He always replied with a non-committal statement, unwilling to share his thoughts on the subject with anyone except Theo. In truth, Blaise had no liking for Malfoy but he felt an unwelcome and annoyingly persistent sense of pity for him. Malfoy was surrounded by every luxury and had been given all sorts of advantages - but he was still insecure and discontented. He was a sulky, arrogant person who expected life to bend itself according to his will, and was unable to deal with it when it didn’t. The Malfoys were more influential than the Zabinis, more powerful and well known - but Blaise knew that he was a much happier person than Draco Malfoy ever would be. For one thing, he had friends while Malfoy had associates - although he rather thought it possible that Malfoy didn’t understand the difference between the two. 

Blaise dismissed all thoughts of Draco Malfoy after a while and headed off to his dorm for the night, Theo following. After they’d got changed and settled down, Theo read a few chapters of his latest novel while Blaise got out his memo and started chatting to Harry. Theo glanced across at him with a smile, aware that Blaise would probably soon be interrupting him to share Harry’s latest news; it was a rare evening these days that he was allowed to read his book undisturbed. 

_Hey, Harry. You still awake?_

**_Yup. How’s things with you and the other snakes?_**

**__**

_Better. We had a meeting tonight and decided to officially withdraw opposition to the Charter._

__

**_What, all of you? Why?_**

**__**

_Because you Gryffs have been mocking us mercilessly about it all day – not you personally, the others – and since we think it’ll probably be introduced, it makes sense not to look like the only ones in opposition. So from tomorrow, we’re officially ‘yeah, fine, whatever’ about it._

__

**_HAHAHAHA, THAT’S SO FUNNY!!!_**

**__**

Blaise looked across at Theo. “I’ve just told Harry about our shift in attitude with the Charter. He’s laughing at us. A lot.” 

Theo chuckled. “Tell him that he should be more gracious in victory.” 

_Theo says you’re a complete and utter idiot._

__

**_IT’S STILL FUNNY!!! (Also, I know Theo never said that)._ **

**__**

_Your kindness and consideration for our feelings warms my heart._

__

**_What, you have feelings? I’d never have guessed. So, does this mean that Malfoy’s going to act all cool and casual about the Charter now tomorrow as well?_ **

__

_You’ll have to wait and see – I would hate to spoil the surprise. And while I remember, thanks for your assistance in fending off potentially awkward questions tonight at study group._

__

**_No problem. I was glad you came. Those jokes you tell really are terrible, though!_ **

__

_Your friend Weasley didn’t think so. Incidentally, now that he’s starting to see sense, I’ll probably subject him to a certain amount of my personal charm and warmth over the next few weeks._

__

**_Why? And also, does the plotting never stop with you people?_ **

**__**

_Rarely. And it’s just to make sure that he’s comfortable with me being a part of your life, that’s all. (Plus, it will be fun to see his reactions)._

__

**_Should I do the same with Theo? I could pop over to the Slytherin table tomorrow morning and give him a hug._ **

“He’s offering to come over while we’re having breakfast tomorrow and hug you,” Blaise said with a grin. 

Theo raised an eyebrow. “Tell him I’m not a morning person.” 

_Theo says that would be lovely._

__

**_Do you ever accurately report anything Theo says? I don’t know how he puts up with you._ **

**__**

_I’m worth it._

**__**

**_Always the modest one. Well, the next couple of days should be interesting. Got to go now, I’m feeling tired. Speak to you tomorrow._ **

**__**

_Night, Harry._

__

Blaise put away his memo and got ready to go to sleep. It had been a long and tiring day, but one which had ended much more positively than it had begun. 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 


	14. On the same page

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for all of the comments and kudos, I really appreciate those! I've had some really good suggestions as well.
> 
> All rights to the Harry Potter universe belong to JK Rowling. I don’t own Harry Potter.

_After key stages of a project are completed, it’s helpful to take stock of the situation and consider next steps._

By the following day, the tempo of life at Hogwarts was starting to return to something more like normality. The Slytherin ‘we’re fine with the Charter, and that’s our final word on the matter’ policy was implemented immediately. This caused a considerable amount of amusement across the school, but it did help the issue to become much less ‘us against them’, and so the amount of taunting that the Slytherins were having to put up with dropped considerably. Most of the students were eager to learn whether the Teaching Charter was to be implemented or not. The Ravenclaws were particularly keen to see it go through, and by Tuesday lunchtime it was widely known that they’d already set up a student taskforce to look at ways in which the Charter could improve their experience of learning. 

Although the Gryffindor protest had caught everyone’s attention within the school, it didn’t seem to have registered as news with the Daily Prophet, which had nothing in either the Monday or Tuesday editions about it. Hermione commented at breakfast on Tuesday that this was ‘disconcerting’. Ron said she was probably right, but he wasn’t totally sure because he didn’t know exactly what disconcerting meant. Harry grinned, and didn’t admit that he was a bit hazy on what it meant himself. 

Harry took the chance after lunch on Tuesday to check in with Colin Creevey about progress with the second-year study group. Their first meeting was set up for the next day, although Colin had decided not to negotiate a deal to guarantee any Slytherin attendance. He had instead drafted a letter which he’d sent to each of the Slytherin second-years inviting them to the study group and telling them that even if they didn’t choose to try it now, they could always change their minds later on. None of them had replied, which Harry thought was quite rude. However, Colin said he felt better for asking and was optimistic that they’d join the group eventually. Harry didn’t share his sunny outlook on that particular matter, but he was pleased that Colin seemed to have come to terms with the probable lack of a Slytherin presence in his group. It was probably for the best anyway; he thought Colin Creevey and the average Slytherin probably wouldn’t mix very well. 

Although Harry was generally in a pretty good mood, he was conscious of the fact that he’d have to resolve the situation with Fred and George at some point. The twins had mostly stayed away from him since their early morning visit to the third-year dorm. They weren’t ignoring him, exactly – they did say hello briefly if they passed him in the corridors or the common room – but they never hung around to chat as they used to. Harry didn’t know how to mend fences with the twins, and he still felt a little guilty about their argument; he didn’t regret what he’d said, but he felt bad about the way he’d said it. It felt too awkward a subject to bring up though and he had no idea what to say if he did. After some thought he decided to let the matter rest for a few more days, and maybe speak to the twins towards the end of the week. 

While the quest entered a temporary lull, since there was little to do now but wait for the big decision, Ron’s Danger Club activities were building up. As they were sitting in the common room on Tuesday evening, Ron gave Hermione and Harry a progress update. 

“Yeah, so I’m glad to say the stupid flobberworms are going to be a thing of the past pretty soon!” Ron told them cheerfully. “Padma and the other Ravenclaws have finished the changes to Hagrid’s lesson plans, so that we can all be properly supervised and avoid a painful death and so on. And that’s a good thing by the way, because I’ve seen the paperwork for student deaths and it takes hours to fill in. We got loads of useful advice sent to us from Professor Kettleburn as well. Hagrid’s already looking for sixth and seventh-years to help out in the third to fifth-year lessons. He’s also signed up some bloke he knows from the Leaky Cauldron as his unpaid, part time assistant. What’s his name… oh yes, Fletcher. He won’t be on the books officially – Hagrid’s going to pay him in drinks, or eggs from his chickens. And yes, I know how that sounds, but the school won’t agree to hiring an assistant and I’m told this guy knows his way around a wand okay.” 

Hermione looked dubiously at him. “So we can rely on this man Fletcher, then?” 

“Hagrid says so,” Ron said. “They’re mates. I’ll keep an eye on him, though.” 

“Did Hagrid ever get a reply to his letter of apology to Lucius Malfoy?” Harry asked. 

Ron grinned. “Mmm. He let me see it. Nice handwriting, but not a nice letter. Malfoy’s Dad said he accepted the apology but he would still have to ‘ _take whatever action was required to secure the safety of young witches and wizards, as no false sentimentality could be allowed to endanger them’_ . Or something like that.” 

Harry nodded. “So, do we know what Malfoy’s planning? Could your Dad find anything out?” 

“Well, it’s good news and bad news. The good news is that we know what he’s planning, the bad news is that we don’t like it. Ginny got a letter from Dad this morning – sorry, forgot to mention it before. Apparently, Malfoy’s been unable to get the Governors to agree to sacking Hagrid, so that’s a relief. Dad explained that the work we’ve been doing with the Danger Club helped Dumbledore a lot with convincing the Governors that it was an isolated error and steps were being taken to fix things,” he said with pride. “But the trouble is, Malfoy’s now referred Buckbeak to the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures for a hearing. Dad says that while he’s really proud of me and Ginny for trying to help Hagrid and working with you on the Charter, he thinks that Malfoy’s accelerated his actions because of it. He said that Malfoy’s dad probably didn’t take us seriously at first, but now with the quest being so successful, he’s seen what student power can do and he wants to get rid of Buckbeak before we can stop him. I wish I’d listened to you when you told me to keep the Danger Club secret.” 

Hermione looked thoughtful. “You know, calling themselves the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures doesn’t seem very impartial. The name rather tells you that they’ve already made their minds up, even before the hearing. I mean, surely some of the creatures they look at aren’t that dangerous?” 

Ron nodded eagerly. “You’re right! Hagrid says those people on the committee are biased against creatures of all sorts. He’s really worried that they’re going to insist on Buckbeak being destroyed. He cried a bit when Ginny showed him Dad’s letter.” 

“A bit?” Hermione said sceptically. 

“Well, quite a lot,” Ron admitted. “It was embarrassing. I promised him that we’d get to work on the planning for the hearing, though - we’ve got time, it won’t be until the first or second week of December. I’ll have to ask one of the Professors to go with Hagrid, like you suggested Harry, but we still might not win. I tried to reassure Hagrid about our chances, but I don’t know anything about committees – maybe he’s right, and they will execute Buckbeak no matter how good an argument we come up with. I’m not sure what to do. What do you guys think?” 

“Have you spoken to Professor McGonagall yet?” Hermione asked. 

“Yes, and a fat lot of good that was!” Ron said, pulling a face. “She said she couldn’t tell me anything more than is already widely known and she was sure it would all get sorted out in the end.” 

“Oh,” Hermione said dismally. “I’d hoped for something more positive than that.” 

“Me too. Harry, if you were in my place, what would you do?” 

“Well, erm… I’m not sure. Sorry, that’s not helpful I know.” 

“It’s alright,” Ron said. “Like I said, we’ve got some time yet to work on it. Padma, Justin and Ernie are all signed up to library duty – they’re going to research past hearings and find out if there are any previous examples of creatures being let off by the committee.” 

“Well, I would have thought—” 

“Harry! Hermione!” Percy had just come into the common room was striding towards them, looking excited. “The Headmaster just sent word that he’d like to see the three of us immediately.” 

“Oh, right. See you later, Ron.” 

“Yeah, okay. Good luck!” 

The Headmaster, when they arrived, welcomed them pleasantly and invited them to sit down. “Well now,” he said, “I have some good news for you and some… other news.” 

The three of them glanced at each other. “Perhaps we’d better have the good news first Sir,” Hermione said. 

“Indeed. So, I am happy to inform you that the Teaching Charter has been approved by the Board of Governors and will be implemented from the start of next term,” Dumbledore said with a wide smile. “Well done, all of you, on a most remarkable accomplishment!” 

“Brilliant!” Harry exclaimed. “It’s really happened! I mean, I know things were looking good but I wasn’t sure…” 

“Well done, Harry,” Percy said with a broad smile. “You should be very proud.” 

“It was a team effort,” Harry said modestly. 

Hermione smiled in delight. “That’s really good news, Headmaster. When will the rest of the school be told?” 

“I will be announcing it tomorrow at breakfast. Until then, I must ask you to keep this to yourself – though you may tell Mr. Weasley junior, if you wish.” 

“Thanks,” Harry said. “Ron knew we were coming here so he’ll want to know what we talked about.” 

“Then you may satisfy his curiosity, by all means. So, perhaps we can turn to the other news which I mentioned. This concerns our Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge. Now, you may have noticed that no details of Sunday’s protest have yet appeared in the Daily Prophet?” 

“Yes, and I was surprised about that,” Hermione said. “It might have been too late to make the Monday edition, but today’s paper had nothing about it either.” 

“Hmm, well, that would be because the Minister has asked the Daily Prophet’s editor not to make any reference to the Charter or the protest just yet.” 

Harry felt a spark of anger. “Is he trying to suppress the story? That won’t work, surely? I mean, too many people know about it.” 

Dumbledore smiled at him. “Oh, he doesn’t want to suppress the story, Harry \- he wants to associate himself with it.” 

“Oh!” Hermione exclaimed. Harry glanced across at her; clearly she understood what Dumbledore meant, whereas he had no clue. Percy also looked a little puzzled. 

“Will you come and stand next to me for a moment, Harry?” Dumbledore asked. He did so, still rather confused. The Headmaster drew out his wand and with a flick, a bright lamp appeared on the table next to them. “Now Harry, this lamp has been created by my own efforts entirely. You had no part in its production. However, as you are standing near me, the lamp shines upon us both, does it not? And anyone who might happen to walk into this room right now would see you clearly in the light of the lamp, just as much as they would me.” 

“And they might even assume that Harry had been the one to turn the lamp on in the first place,” Hermione said slowly. 

“Yes indeed, but not if we took the trouble to correct that misapprehension. Thank you, Harry, you may sit down again now.” 

Percy frowned. “Sir, you surely don’t mean that the Minister intends to take credit for our achievements?” 

“No, Mr. Weasley, I assure you that is not his intention. He is simply seeking to publicly declare his support for a change which will be highly popular once the news breaks. Like most politicians, basking in the limelight is his favourite hobby. Indeed, I suppose it could be called his day job.” 

Harry frowned. “Headmaster, I don’t mean to be rude but if the Minister is planning to pull a Lockhart on us then the other Gryffindors are really not going to be happy about it.” 

Dumbledore looked a little pained, but managed a smile. “That is a very vivid turn of phrase, Harry. I assure you however that his intentions are considerably more mundane. He does not want to take the credit away from you all – he simply wishes to give your endeavours a very public endorsement.” 

“How will that work exactly?” Percy asked. 

“Well, Cornelius will arrive for lunch tomorrow. He will bring a reporter with him, and a photographer. There will be ceremonial signing of the Teaching Charter next to the Gryffindor table. Some of the students may be asked for their opinions about these events, to quote in the paper. And then on Thursday, the whole story will appear in the Prophet. Mr. Weasley, how would you feel about having your picture taken while shaking hands with the Minister? He’s asked if that would be acceptable.” 

Percy looked highly excited. “Well, I’d be delighted, of course! And Harry, you should be on the photo as well, really – but I suspect that wouldn’t be your idea of a good time?” 

“You’re right there,” Harry said firmly. “I’d really rather not end up in the Prophet. Your parents will be thrilled if you do though, Percy!” 

“Yes, I suppose they would be,” he mused happily. 

“Headmaster, if you don’t mind me asking – even if the Minister’s intentions aren’t bad, why are you allowing this?” Hermione enquired. 

“Ah well, that is a good question,” Dumbledore smiled. “Partly because it’s harmless. There are times when I have to stand up to the Minister and refuse to give him what he wants. However, he would be most unhappy if I did that all of the time, so granting this quite benign request is something that I would prefer to do. I will make sure that he doesn’t overstep the bounds of fairness and claim any credit for events which he was not a part of. And also, it’s because I knew that Lucius Malfoy’s influence with the Minister might hold some sway if I didn’t allow this to exist as a counter-influence. Cornelius will back the Charter if I allow him to do it his way - and while he’s not officially part of the decision-making process, it really is best to have him on side for something so important.” 

“Then we shouldn’t be concerned?” Harry asked. 

“No, I assure you that this is nothing to worry about. I just wanted to explain it to you in advance so that you were prepared. If you still have any worries about it then please do tell me.” 

“No, if you say it’s fine then I’m okay with it,” Harry said, a little reluctantly. Percy and Hermione nodded in agreement. “There is one thing though, Headmaster; I don’t want the Slytherins to be criticised in this story at all. They’re getting used to the idea of the Charter now and I wouldn’t like to set that process back.” 

“Of course, that is only sensible; I will make sure that is done,” Dumbledore said. “And now I suggest you all return to the Gryffindor common room – it’s not too long until curfew.” 

They said goodnight to the Headmaster and left his office. Percy was visibly thrilled at the prospect of meeting the Minister, which Hermione seemed amused at. As for Harry, he certainly didn’t begrudge Percy his moment of fame. Hopefully, Fudge’s arrival tomorrow was a low-level annoyance, nothing more. He’d be at the school for an hour and then go, whereas the Teaching Charter… that was here to stay for years to come – maybe even for decades. Harry decided to allow himself to relax and savour his victory. 

“We’ve won,” he said, feeling jubilant. “We actually made it happen!” 

Percy clapped him on the shoulder. “It makes me wonder what else we could accomplish, if we all worked together.” Harry grinned at him. 

“I’ve been thinking just the same thing!” Hermione said with a wide smile. “Oh but, I wish I’d remembered to ask the Headmaster what changes might be introduced next term to our lesson plans.” 

“They might still be working on the details,” Harry said. “By the way, tomorrow let’s all sit facing the Slytherin table at breakfast. I _have_ to watch Malfoy’s reaction to this!” 

Having been forbidden from telling anyone other than Ron about the happy news, Harry had to put a lot of effort into not looking over-cheerful when they returned to the common room. He took Ron up to the dorm to give him an update. Ron was thrilled, and loved the idea of being able to watch the Slytherins hear about the Gryffindors’ success at breakfast. 

“I just wish I could tell Blaise and Theo though,” Harry said. “I know they’ll find out soon enough but it might help them to prepare if they know what’s coming.” 

Ron sighed theatrically. “Again with the Slytherins! I never thought I’d see the day… honestly Harry, have I taught you nothing at all in the two years we’ve known each other?” 

Harry grinned. “It’s two people, Ron. Two, out of a whole House worth of students! I don’t even know most of the Slytherins!” 

“You don’t know them _yet_ , you mean. After all, you’ve already increased the number of your Slytherin pals from one to two. That’s double the amount! Keep on like that and you’ll be friends with most of our year by the end of the term!” 

“If it makes you feel any better Ron, I wouldn’t make friends with Malfoy if my life depended on it. Or yours.” 

“That’s the spirit,” Ron said approvingly. “Anyway, if you really want to let your snakey chums in on the secret, act like they do and be all cunning about it.” 

“What do you mean?” 

Ron picked up a spare bit of paper and jotted down a sentence. “Send them that.” 

Harry looked at the paper and grinned. “Good one.” He retrieved the memo from his bedside cabinet. 

**_Blaise – Minister Fudge is coming to Hogwarts for lunch tomorrow._ **

_YES!!!!!!_

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

As soon as Dumbledore announced that the Teaching Charter was approved the next morning, sustained and hearty applause, as well as loud cheering, broke out across the Great Hall. Harry shouted “WOOHOO!” at the top of his voice, which prompted a dozen others to do the same. Even the Slytherins managed to act out a reasonable level of enthusiasm, and clapped steadily. 

“I am delighted to see that this news is so pleasing to you all,” Dumbledore said, smiling brightly. “And to say thank you to the students whose idea this was, I award a hundred points to Gryffindor. It should be more really, but it would hardly be fair to make the House Cup a foregone conclusion so early in the school year!” The Gryffindors clapped again, pleased at the unexpected addition to their points score. 

“There are a couple of other things to mention,” Dumbledore added. “It has been decided to set up a working group of Professors who will oversee the introduction of the Charter. This group will consist of myself and Professors McGonagall, Lupin, Burbage, Sinistra, Snape, Flitwick and Sprout. Although we are not formally launching the Charter until next term, some Professors may choose to try out new measures this term as a form of early test, so to speak. Also, to assist with the administrative work which we expect to arise as a result of these changes, Professor Flitwick has been appointed as second Deputy Headmaster; he will provide most effective support to myself and Professor McGonagall, I am sure.” There was a generous round of applause at this point, led by the delighted Ravenclaws. Professor Flitwick acknowledged this with a cheerful wave. 

“I suppose they had to put Snape in the working group, with him being a Head of House,” Ron commented in a low voice, “though it seems a bit funny to ask him to sort the problem out when he’s the cause of it in the first place. I expect he’ll have to give himself a stern talking to if he doesn’t stick to the Charter from now on.” Harry grinned and glanced over at Snape to check how he was taking these developments; he looked very serious, but nothing more. 

“Additionally, it so happens that the Ministry of Magic have decided to set up a Ghost Liaison Office and are in need of a reliable ambassador to represent the large ghostly community that we have here at Hogwarts. Professor Binns, who has served the school faithfully for many years, has agreed to accept this important position. As a result, he will be spending much of his time at the Ministry from now on, and therefore will be resigning from his post as History of Magic teacher at the end of this term.” There was a roar of amused laughter and applause at this, and Dumbledore allowed it to continue to the end with a tolerant smile. “As you may be aware, the syllabus for History of Magic has not been updated for some time. One of the first tasks which the working group will undertake is to revise the topics which are taught and modernise the teaching approach, focusing on next term in particular. I will be advertising for a new Professor to teach History of Magic, and they will need to have lesson plans already prepared when they arrive.” 

“I’ll teach it if you like, Headmaster,” Fred Weasley shouted out. “After all, I couldn’t be worse than the last guy!” This drew a big laugh, with even some of the Slytherins smiling slightly, though they straightened their faces immediately afterwards. 

“I think I must be a little hard of hearing at the moment, Mr. Weasley, since I missed most of what you just said,” Dumbledore told him with an amused smile. “Anyway, to move on to the final item. Minister Fudge will be with us at lunch today, and will be signing a copy of the Charter next to the Gryffindor table. There will be photographs taken for inclusion in tomorrow’s issue of Daily Prophet, which will cover the whole story in great detail. Some of you may also be interviewed.” This prompted a flurry of quick conversations across the hall as students speculated about whether they would end up in the paper. “Thank you for listening to me, and now please do continue your breakfast.” He sat down, smiling cheerfully. 

“You know who I feel sorry for?” Ron said. “People like Dad, at the Ministry. I bet that when they left Hogwarts, they all said to themselves, ‘thank goodness I’ll never have to listen to Professor Binns again’, and now he’ll be haunting their place of work! Literally!” 

Hermione grinned. “I think it’s going to be brilliant here, though! Imagine what we might learn in a properly supervised History of Magic class! We might focus on really important modern-day events now.” 

“We could focus on Harry,” Ron said, smirking at him. “You know, learn all about the Boy Who Lived. Even Lockhart wasn’t as well-known as you, Harry. I know lots about you already, so I bet I’d get top marks.” 

The other two giggled as Harry put on an alarmingly accurate imitation of Lockhart’s beaming gaze. “Of course, even though Witch Weekly did vote me Most Charming Boy Who Lived five times running, that didn’t help me in the Chamber of Secrets! I didn’t kill the terrifying Hogwarts basilisk just by smiling at it, you know!” 

Ron snorted with laughter. “Yeah well, never mind all that rubbish, your smileyness. Let’s think about lunchtime. We need to decide what our strategy is.” 

“What do you mean?” Hermione asked. 

“Well, Fudge is going to be by our table with lots of happy students standing around when the photos get taken. If we’re three of those happy students then we might end up in the paper. Or if we try to stay away, then we can avoid all the publicity.” Ron finished the sentence with a note of doubt in his voice; it was clear which was his favoured option. 

“Well, I certainly don’t want to be centre stage,” Hermione said, “and I know you don’t, Harry.” 

“I’ll do my best to avoid that,” Harry agreed. “Ron, if you want to be in the picture then you can be. I’m sure the Minister wouldn’t mind.” 

Ron grinned a touch self-consciously. “Well, it would be nice to see myself in the Prophet. I might do that.” 

“My strategy will probably either be to hide behind someone bigger, or disguise myself, or eat quickly and leave early - or maybe all three,” Harry decided. 

“I’ll bet you a sickle that you end up on a photograph with the Minister anyway, strategy or not,” Ron said smugly. 

Harry smirked at him. “You’re on.” 

It did cross Harry’s mind during the course of the morning that he could avoid the risk of unwelcome publicity - which he’d had far too much of in the last couple of years - by not going into lunch at all. However, he decided that wouldn’t be a sporting way to win a bet – and in any case, he was likely to be hungry. Ron came up with the idea of temporarily changing his hair colour, and was even able to suggest a suitable charm to do it; he said that his brother Bill had experimented with various looks in the past and he remembered some of the spells he’d used. Harry dismissed the idea reluctantly, as he thought it might draw more attention if he looked different to normal. In the end, he went for what Hermione referred to as ‘strategic placement’. When lunch arrived, he carefully sat nowhere near Percy, who looked enormously excited about his role in events. He also kept his head down, and had a copy of the morning’s Prophet propped up high in front of him. Hermione was next to him, but Ron had gone to sit by Percy; he’d even asked Percy if he could stand by him for the group photograph. Ron had claimed it was mostly in case he had the chance to talk to the Minister about the Danger Club, and Harry, being a good friend, had pretended to believe him. 

Dumbledore, along with the Minister and the staff from the Daily Prophet, came into the room shortly before food was served and headed directly to the Gryffindor table. Minister Fudge went to shake hands with a delighted Percy, and they both posed self-consciously for pictures while everyone clapped politely. 

“Now, everyone who would like to be on the main picture, please come over and stand behind the Minister!” the photographer shouted. “Doesn’t have to be Gryffindors only, students from all Houses welcome!” 

There was a short pause before various students from the other tables started wandering over to join them. Even a few of the Slytherins did so. Harry was delighted that his view of the Minister was now almost totally blocked by other people, which should make it much less likely for the man to notice him. He heard Professor McGonagall tell the Weasley twins sharply that if they wanted to be in any of the pictures then they should stop pulling those awful faces immediately. Fred then replied in a hurt voice that those were actually their normal faces, and it was upsetting to be criticised for their looks so publicly by their own Head of House. Harry chuckled when Professor McGonagall informed the twins that they could go into the matter more thoroughly during the detention they’d be serving with her that evening. 

The Minister took out a copy of the Charter and smiled around. “Professors and students of Hogwarts! This is a historic day! In a moment, I will sign this copy of the new Hogwarts Teaching Charter to endorse this proposal for change and improvement. I congratulate the Gryffindor students on their great initiative and the commitment they have shown to our wonderful school in developing this Charter. And now, shall we?” 

“Everyone, clap and look happy!” the photographer shouted. The students did as they were told, giggling with amusement to each other, as Minister Fudge signed the Charter with a flourish. 

“I wonder if Ron’s in the picture,” Hermione said with a smile. “Rather him than me.” 

“Looks like I’m going to win the bet,” Harry commented. “At least I hope so.” 

“It makes sense that you would; if the Minister’s here just for publicity then he wouldn’t choose to give some of it away to you. By the way Harry, now that we have the Charter in place, do you think your quest really is finished?” 

“I’ve been thinking about that. It’s mostly done, but not the personal bit. I’ll have to do that on my own. Snape’s had it in for me since day one, and all of that’s still unresolved. I don’t deserve what he’s put me through, Hermione. I’m going to keep working on that, though I’m not sure how yet.” 

“Well, let me know if you need any help with it,” she said. “You deserve some answers, Harry – and fairer treatment in Potions class!” 

After what seemed like enough photographs to fill a couple of hundred albums were taken, the students were sent back to their tables and the Minister joined Dumbledore at the staff table for lunch. Ron returned to them as the food was served, grinning widely. 

“The Minister shook my hand!” he exclaimed, “and I got my picture taken, though I don’t know if it’ll be in the paper since they got so many. You two are mad to have missed it!” 

“I expect we’ll come to terms with being left out eventually,” Hermione said drily. “Oh, watch out, the reporter’s heading our way!” 

Harry groaned as he glanced around to see a short, middle-aged man carrying a large notebook striding towards him. Fortunately, the photographer wasn’t following him. “Mr. Potter? Justin Thatcher, from the Prophet. Care to comment on what you think of the new Teaching Charter? Our readers are very interested in hearing from the Boy Who Lived!” 

Harry glanced at him with distaste; why Ron liked the idea of this type of fame was beyond him. “I’m just an ordinary third-year student, Mr. Thatcher, so my opinion isn’t worth any more than anyone else’s. But if you want to know, I think it’s a really positive change. I’m glad that students of all four Houses have come together to support it. Also, I’m grateful to the Headmaster and all of the Professors for the work that they’ll be putting in to introduce it.” 

Mr. Thatcher looked at him with an unpleasantly sly expression. “Yes, but off the record… it hasn’t been well received in some quarters, has it?” 

There had been a discussion about the media last summer back at Privet Drive – he couldn’t remember the details, but it had been to do with some form of minor political scandal. One sentence that Uncle Vernon had spoken that day came back to him then: _“I tell you Petunia, there’s no such thing as ‘off the record’ when it comes to those awful journalists.”_ Harry didn’t have much respect for Vernon Dursley’s opinions as a rule, but judging by the furtive looking man stood in front of him, he suspected that on this occasion his uncle might be right. 

“I wouldn’t know anything about that,” Harry replied innocently. “My understanding is that the Charter’s been supported by an almost everyone. Maybe, since it’s been so popular, you ought to think about following our lead at the Prophet and introducing a Journalism Charter as well. It could set out all the ways in which you intend to be fair and unbiased in your coverage of news stories. Why don’t you put that in the article and see what people think? You can quote me on that!” 

Mr. Thatcher’s jaw dropped and he looked horrified. “Er yes, well, that’s an interesting idea. I’d better be getting along now, and speak to some of the others.” He nodded and quickly walked over to the Ravenclaw table. 

“Good job, Harry,” Ron said. “I’ve read a couple of that guy’s stories and he’s a bit of an idiot. Writes whatever Fudge tells him to, Dad says.” 

“I agree,” Hermione said. “Thank goodness you were able to get rid of him! Of course, I don’t imagine he’ll make any reference in the story to a Charter for journalists too – though I think it would be a good idea, at that.” 

“I hope they don’t mention me in the paper at all tomorrow,” Harry said, “but I bet they will.” 

The next morning, students from all Houses showed up for breakfast in good time and many of them could barely keep their eyes away from the door. There were cries of excitement when the flurry of owls showed up. Hermione retrieved her copy of the Prophet eagerly, and Harry and Ron studied it with her. 

“Percy, you’re on the front page!” Ron yelled at his brother. And there he was, side by side with the Minister. The headline they’d gone with was: ‘MINISTER SUPPORTS NEW HOGWARTS TEACHING CHARTER!’ 

“Well, that is a nice surprise,” Percy exclaimed cheerfully. 

“I liked your headline better,” Harry said to Ron with a smile. “Well done Percy, it’s a good picture.” 

There wasn’t much detail on the front cover, so Hermione turned the page and they exclaimed with delight - for on the second and third pages there was an actual picture of last Sunday’s protest itself. It had been taken towards the end, when the Gryffindors were marching back to their table. Harry’s smile widened as he relived the memory of that day. It was all there, in that one image – the Gryffindors smiling brightly, Percy looking elated, the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs roaring their support, copies of the Charter flying across the room; all of the emotion and high drama of the occasion. 

“Someone was there!” Ron said. “With a camera, I mean, on the day!” 

“From the angle, it must have been one of the Ravenclaws,” Hermione said with interest. “I suppose they must have happened to have a camera with them that morning. That was lucky!” 

“Or maybe someone casually happened to mention to his Ravenclaw girlfriend that it might be a good idea to bring a camera along to Sunday lunch,” Ron said with a grin. Percy, who was across the table from them, smirked but said nothing. 

“Hey Ron, you’re on page eleven!” Seamus shouted from further down the table. 

“Wow, let’s see!” He grabbed the paper and turned the page. “It’s me!” Ron was in a group of students clapping the Minister. Harry thought that Ron looked thoroughly silly, as he had a rather fatuous smile plastered on his face, but he just smiled and congratulated his friend. 

The actual story was, to Harry’s relief, not that bad. In fact, it could have been a lot worse. The Gryffindors were given credit for the whole idea clearly enough, there was no open criticism of either Snape or the Slytherins and Percy was praised for his role. The references to Minister Fudge were cleverly interwoven through the narrative. They stopped short of saying he’d been involved in the development of the Charter, but in some way gave him credit for… well, something. Without actually declaring as much, the impression was given that the Minister had in some way assisted with a brilliant new innovation. However, Harry’s name wasn’t even mentioned, which was a definite plus; perhaps his Journalism Charter idea had been so terrifying that they’d thought it best to leave him out entirely. Several other students were quoted, though. He laughed out loud when Hermione pointed to a paragraph on page 6: _Draco Malfoy, son of leading pureblood wizard Lucius Malfoy of Wiltshire, told our reporter that: “The Teaching Charter will bring many positive changes to Hogwarts, and like all of the other Slytherins, I find that very pleasing.”_

“You know,” Harry said with a sly smile, “he’s really making it all too easy for me these days.” 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

It was 11.50pm on Friday evening, and Albus Dumbledore was with Severus Snape in the Potion master’s quarters, finishing the final preparations for the _Volens Melius_ spell; the instructions specified that it should be cast as close to midnight as possible. Snape himself was seated on a wooden chair, surrounded by a circle of complex runes carved into the floor. Though he was resolved to allow this magic to proceed, he could not repress his nervousness. 

“Now Severus, you remember the procedure for the final step?” 

Snape nodded warily. “When the white circle forms, I close my eyes and think about the objective which I want to use _Volens Melius_ to achieve.” 

“Yes, that’s right. Now, that objective can be expressed in any way you wish, but don’t forget to think _‘and so it ends’_ when you have finished. The spell should then activate, as long as it accepts your aim as honourable, which I’m sure it will.” 

Snape hoped this was so, given the covert amendments he intended to make; the Headmaster still had no idea that he’d chosen a rather different goal to the one which Dumbledore had specified. 

Dumbledore looked at him intently. “Are you quite sure that this is what you want, Severus? I know that I’m the one who has asked it of you, but you have to be certain yourself. You must commit to this entirely, with the whole of your mind and heart, or the spell will fail.” 

He glanced back at Dumbledore, his face an unreadable mask. But inside, he was thinking of the distant, endless promise of war and of the people who might depend on him to look after them when the time came - the Slytherins, the other students of Hogwarts and yes, even Potter. If this spell could guide him well, it might represent the difference between success and failure – and failure would probably be represented in lives lost. “I am sure,” he said. 

Dumbledore nodded, and began the final incantations. Severus could sense the magic building around him. His throat was dry and his heart raced, but he schooled himself to remain calm. And then, directly in front of him a shimmering ball of white light appeared. He closed his eyes and allowed the thoughts to flow. 

_There is a terrible dark wizard who I once made the mistake of following. There was a war, and a young boy called Harry Potter defeated this wizard. Since then our world has been peaceful and people think that the dark wizard is dead, but in fact he is a formless spirit who endlessly seeks a way back in. Eventually, he will find it. When that happens, he will seek out his old followers and go to war again. Our victory over him is by no means certain. In the last war, for part of the time I was a spy for Headmaster Dumbledore. He will ask the same of me again the next time; therefore, he wants to keep me close, here in Hogwarts. I wish for this also, but not for exactly the same reasons._

__

_To the magic of Volens Melius, I ask this; show me how to comply with our new Teaching Charter, so that I may remain here and assist with the fight against the dark wizard. Help me to defend the school and its inhabitants against all enemies, now and in the future. Assist me to look after the Slytherin students - for when the dark wizard returns, he will want the Slytherins to follow him and I don’t want to lose them to him. Help me to prepare for the war which I know is coming in any way that I can, and to take whatever role in the battle will serve our efforts best. And finally, assist me to protect Harry Potter, who is both the child of my dead friend and a person of significance in the coming conflict. In all of this, let me be as effective as possible. And so it ends._

He opened his eyes, just in time to see the white sphere rush towards him. He was within the light, and it was warm and bright and serene. Time passed, though he had no idea how much as he allowed the magic to wash over him… and then it was done, the light was gone and all of a sudden, he was back in the room. The runes had disappeared and all that remained was Dumbledore, who was watching him carefully. 

“Are you well, Severus?” 

He considered this for a moment and then nodded. He was still himself, but somehow he knew that a fundamental shift had happened. “I am fine. I believe the spell succeeded. I will—” 

_Don’t use eye of newt, it makes the mixture unstable. Add two measures of leech juice as the last ingredient. Use three drops of your blood instead of three hairs._

He broke off and stared at Dumbledore in surprise. “I think… that I just experienced one of those unexpected thoughts that seem to come from elsewhere. A most startling experience. I have been working on the development of a particular potion for many years now without success, but I think I may finally know how to perfect it.” 

“Well, that sounds positive,” Dumbledore said cheerfully. “Will it be a useful potion, once you have finished it?” 

Severus smiled. “It will be of no use to anyone but myself. There is a minor ailment which I have suffered from for years now which I believe it could cure, that is all.” 

“Then I hope it is of use to you,” Dumbledore said, “and I am very glad that you have been successful with the spell. Perhaps I should leave you alone now to rest? I remember from my own casting that I was very tired afterwards.” 

Severus nodded. “I am tired, so yes. If you could spare some time tomorrow however, I think it would be useful for us to have a talk. I would like to be clear on the specific changes that will be required in my teaching approach from now on. Perhaps Minerva should join us.” 

“Of course,” The Headmaster replied, looking pleased. “Goodnight then.” 

Severus wished him goodnight in return and saw him out of the room. He knew that the magic of _Volens Melius_ was waiting to assist him, and would serve him well. There were a vast assortment of thoughts flowing in his mind but he allowed them to gently simmer while he retired to bed. There would be much for him to do in the coming days. 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

After what had seemed like a very long week, Saturday arrived and with it, the first Hogsmeade weekend of the term. Harry was disappointed at not being able to go with Ron and Hermione but there was also a part of him which felt relieved, because in truth he was nervous about the idea of going near to the ever-looming Dementors. Much to his surprise, Percy suggested that they spend the day together. He told Harry that Hogsmeade was very familiar to him after four years and in any case, he could go there on Sunday. Percy proposed that they take advantage of the absence of most of the other Gryffindors to spend some time with each other and work on their brotherly relationship. Ron thought this a hilarious notion when he heard of it, but Harry welcomed the idea – it was a thoughtful gesture, and it would give him something to do. Now that the quest was practically over, he was feeling at something of a loose end. 

Once Harry had waved off his friends (not forgetting to give them some money to buy butterbeers for the other Gryffindors as he’d promised), he and Percy started the day by going for a walk around the lake. Conversationally, they stuck to fairly harmless topics. Percy was keen to ask him questions about his life and interests. Harry chatted about quidditch and the quest, his friendships with Blaise, Theo and Neville, and about how he felt his lessons were going. In return, Percy spoke of his hopes for a future Ministerial career and his aim to achieve all Os on his NEWTs. 

After that, Percy offered to take Harry on a tour of the castle. When he pointed out with a grin that he wasn’t a visitor and had in fact already lived at Hogwarts for over two years, Percy merely smiled and said, “Ah, but as Head Boy I have access to places in the castle which I guarantee you will not have seen before.” This did pique Harry’s interest so he said yes, and the tour didn’t disappoint. Percy started them off at the kitchens, introducing Harry to several dozen chirpy house elves who were excessively thrilled to see them, and hardly stopped talking for the whole time they were there. Harry was astonished at the size of the kitchens and the number of elves who worked there. Percy seemed to know quite a few of the elves by name, and introduced Harry to several of them – including Nimka and Hufty, who had apparently prepared the extra food they’d had after the early morning protest rehearsal. Harry thanked them politely for this, which made the two elves chatter excitedly. Though it wasn’t that long since breakfast, he readily allowed himself to be persuaded into eating some extra food, supplied willingly by the elves. 

Percy then led him to the second floor and stopped in front of a small alcove. “This room is only open to the staff and the Head Boy and Head Girl,” he told Harry as he touched the wall, which was then transfigured into a door. They stepped into the room, which was rounded, empty and composed of blank stone walls. Harry was just wondering how he was going to pretend to find this room interesting when Percy closed the door. As soon as he did so, the walls shimmered and changed; now they were showing a crystal-clear view of the landscape all around Hogwarts in every direction. 

“This is called the Seeing room,” Percy said. “It was originally created to allow the staff of Hogwarts to monitor the grounds, in case any threats ever arose from attacking armies.” 

“It’s really cool,” Harry said. “We can see for miles. Look, there’s Hagrid!” 

“You can take a closer look if you like,” Percy said with a smile. “Just tap the wall.” 

Harry reached out and touched the landscape, zooming in to a closer view in various directions. “That’s clever. I suppose I’d be able to see Ron and Hermione coming back if we were here later on.” 

“You might even be able to see them now,” Percy told him. “Show me Hogsmeade!” 

The images instantly changed, and there was the village of Hogsmeade. It looked very pretty. Harry could see lots of Hogwarts students milling around, though they never caught a glimpse of his two friends. Harry decided they’d probably gone into one of the shops. 

Once finished with the Seeing room, Percy took him to see the prefects’ bathroom – though it looked more like a miniature swimming pool than a bath, to Harry’s mind – and then to a section of the library which was only accessible to NEWT students. This didn’t look much different to the rest of the library to Harry, just on a smaller scale. He was very interested though when Percy led him through a secret passage; this took them to the other side of the castle and three floors up from where they’d started, even though the passage had sloped downwards all of the way. 

“Now I’ll show you what I call the abandoned room,” Percy said. “I’ve always thought my father would love it, if he ever had the chance to visit.” 

“Why that room especially?” Harry asked. 

“You’ll see,” Percy said with a smile. 

The abandoned room took about ten minutes to walk to, but Harry thought it was well worth the trip. This really was a room filled with atmosphere. It was long and octagonal, and set up like a kind of social club with comfortable seats all around. It had tables covered with interesting objects of all kinds; most of them were muggle in origin. 

“I believe that a group of muggleborn students set this room up as a meeting place, many years ago” Percy said. “They must have been homesick and brought some muggle objects back to school with them. I have no idea what most of things are!” 

“This is really great,” Harry said. He had never been in a room that made him want to explore it so much. “There are loads of board games here, just for a start; Cluedo, Monopoly, Scrabble, Snakes and Ladders. They look quite old but I bet they could still be played. Hey, here’s a copy of the TV Times from 1972! Someone must have had that sent to them from home, which seems a bit pointless. It would have been really annoying if they saw anything that they’d like to watch on TV and couldn’t! Would it be okay if I brought some of my friends to see this place? I think they might like it.” 

“Of course,” Percy said. “Do you want to stay a while? I have some other parts of the castle to show you, but they can wait if you like.” 

“No, I’ll come back another time, thanks Percy.” 

Next up, Percy showed him a hidden performing room, once used to stage music recitals and concerts. It had magical echoes which sung back when Harry tentatively tried a few _lalala_ notes, and then he was startled when a dozen or more musical instruments sprung out from behind the curtains and started playing along. Harry didn’t know many songs so he and Percy decided to sing the Hogwarts school song between them, which the instruments all played along to energetically. After that they went to visit a nearby tower, which had a roof garden with an ornamental frog pond, a floating gazebo with dancing decorations and a babbling stream. 

“Ah, now the next place on my list is most unusual,” Percy said. “It’s called the random room.” After a few minutes’ walk, he led Harry into a large room with a high ceiling and huge windows. 

“An ice rink!” Harry exclaimed. “And look, there are ice skates over there. Of all things, I’d never have guessed that Hogwarts had one of these! Shall we try it?” 

“Well I suppose we can,” Percy said doubtfully. “I’m a complete novice, however!” 

“Me too,” Harry said. “Well, let’s see if we can teach ourselves to skate.” 

The ice rink was brilliant and Harry found it great fun. Percy cast balancing charms to keep them upright, but as a new skater Harry was still glad to cling to the rail at the edge of the rink for most of the time. He and Percy couldn’t help laughing as they made their way slowly, and with no natural grace whatever, across the ice. 

“I have to bring the others to see this!” Harry said as they changed back into their shoes at the end. 

“Ah well, that probably won’t be possible, I’m afraid,” Percy said. “You see, the reason it’s called the random room is that every time you come in, the room is completely different in shape and appearance. The last time I was here it looked like the stockroom of a hat shop, and the time before that it was a hippogriff stable, complete with dungheap.” 

“Oh, that’s a shame,” Harry said. “The abandoned room isn’t like that though, is it?” 

“Oh no, that’s the same every time.” 

“That’s good, because I was thinking – would it be alright if I, well… rediscovered it?” 

Percy realised what he meant immediately. “You want to make it into a den for you and your friends.” 

“Yeah. I mean, I could invite Blaise and Theo as well. It’d be great. Do you think anyone would mind?” 

“I don’t think it would be a problem,” Percy said thoughtfully. “I’ll check with Professor McGonagall and if she has no objections, the room can be formally assigned to you.” 

“That would be excellent,” Harry said. “I never imagined we’d see so many interesting things today.” 

“And we haven’t finished yet!” Percy said. “How would you like to see the biggest room in Hogwarts?” 

“What, even bigger than the Great Hall? Yes, definitely!” 

Percy led him along numerous corridors and up quite a lot of stairs to the most massive room he’d ever seen. It was so enormous that he could barely see to the end of it. This space was filled right up to the ceiling with neatly organised furniture of all kinds, together with smaller objects designed for every kind of indoor location. “This is the Hogwarts furniture repository,” Percy said. “All of the spare furnishings for the castle are kept here. The Hogwarts Professors come up here every now and again to choose new items for their offices or personal quarters.” 

“Could I pick something?” Harry asked excitedly. “For my dorm, I mean.” 

Percy looked surprised. “Well, perhaps a couple of the smaller items would be alright.” 

Harry smiled. “Let’s look around then.” 

The two of them spent nearly an hour in the repository, wandering around and talking while Harry eagerly examined the furnishings. There were far too many items for him to look at, even if he’d spent all day there. The first thing he selected was a picture frame; he thought this would be exactly the right size for Neville’s motivational poster. After that he chose some new curtains for his bed and a handsome table lamp. Percy summoned a house elf and instructed her to deliver the items to Harry’s dorm. 

“Well then Harry, are there were any parts of the castle which you’d like to see?” 

He considered this for a moment. “It’d be nice to see inside the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff common rooms, but I don’t suppose we could do that, could we?” 

“I don’t see why not,” Percy replied loftily. “Come along.” 

Percy took him first to the Ravenclaw common room. “There isn’t a password \- the Ravenclaws have to get the answer to a riddle correctly in order to enter,” Percy told him. “Have a try!” 

“I’m not that good at riddles,” Harry said. “I’ll give it a go, though.” 

“I’ll ask you a really easy one, since you’re just visiting,” the door knocker said to him. “What has a head and a tail, but no body?” 

“That’s a really easy one?” Harry said doubtfully. Percy grinned at him. “Okay, well… is it a line?” 

“Good try, but no! Have another guess,” the knocker said. 

“If I was a Ravenclaw, I’d find this really annoying if I was tired or in a hurry,” he commented to Percy. “What happens if they don’t know the answer?” 

“Oh, they can have another riddle to try, or just wait until someone else comes along to help them,” Percy said cheerfully. “Try again and see if you can get it this time.” 

Harry had to think hard about this. He decided that he really hated riddles. “Okay, I think I have it – is it the wind?” 

“Oh, goodness me!” the door knocker exclaimed. “As it happens, the answer I was looking for was a coin, but I do declare that your solution is just as valid. In you go, then!” The door swung open as it spoke. 

“That’s a relief,” Harry said. He took an interested look around him while Percy told the first Ravenclaw they came across that he was carrying out a random inspection, with Harry as his assistant. Thus primed with a cover story, they were able to make a tour of the Ravenclaw common room, library and study areas. After that they went along to the Hufflepuff common room – Harry was glad that this one was much easier to access – and used same approach there as well. Harry found it really interesting, and it occurred to him that he was now one of few students who had seen inside all four Houses, though of course he liked his own best. 

By that time it was lunch, and they went to the Great Hall feeling very satisfied with their morning, if a little tired. Harry thanked Percy for the tour, which he’d really enjoyed. In the afternoon they stayed in the common room, working on homework and chatting. They also played a couple of games of chess, although Percy didn’t have Ron’s talent for the game and Harry was able to beat him comfortably. Towards the end of the afternoon, Percy went off to speak to Professor McGonagall about his Transfiguration classwork; he promised to ask about the abandoned room while he was there. Harry was lounging on a sofa in the common room while finishing off the last of his Charms homework when he got a message from Blaise. 

_Didn’t see you anywhere in Hogsmeade, Harry. Weasley and Granger were around, but you were conspicuous by your absence the whole day._

**__**

**_That’s because my signed permission slip was also conspicuous by its absence._ **

__

_Did you forget to pack it?_

**__**

**_No, I couldn’t get it signed before I left for school at the start of term._ **

__

_In which case you could have owled it home and asked your guardian to sign it and send it back. I can tell there’s more of a story to this so you may as well explain. You’re as bad at concealment and evasion as you are at lying._

**__**

**_Some people would see that as a good thing._**

__

_Don’t make me get impatient, it’s bad for me. WHAT HAPPENED??_

**__**

**_Fine, I asked my Uncle to sign the slip over the summer but he said he wouldn’t unless I behaved while my Aunt Marge was visiting. Well, she’s horrible and she said some really rude things so I lost my temper and stormed out with all my stuff, and I didn’t go back for the rest of the summer holidays. I won’t see them again until next summer so I’ll have to wait to ask again then._ **

__

_Aren’t you going home at Christmas or Easter?_

**__**

**_No. I spend the minimum time possible back there and we all prefer it that way. They don’t like me, okay? And they hate magic. And if you tell anyone this, I’ll personally throw you off the Astronomy tower._ **

__

_No need for sordid threats, dear Harry, especially when the solution to your difficulty with the permission slip is obvious. Surely you realised that? _

__

**_No, can’t say that I did. Tell me what you mean exactly._ **

__

_I think not._

__

**_Well thanks, that’s helpful._**

__

_I’m helping you by not helping you._

__

**_More the not helping than the helping, I’d say._**

__

_What I mean is, it’s time that you learn to work this stuff out for yourself._

__

**_Why would I do that when I have you and Hermione to tell me the answers to everything?_ **

**__**

_For one thing, because we can’t be there every moment of every day. And also, what if people ask you for help - are you going to tell them to go away because you’re too lazy to work out the answer?_

__

Harry frowned. Suddenly he was drawn back a few days, to the discussion with Ron about the Danger Club, and Ron’s plaintive question about Buckbeak’s hearing at the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures: “Harry, if you were in my place, what would you do?” And he’d had no solution to offer Ron; no clever suggestion, no spectacular plan. Surely he could do better for his friend than that? 

__

**_Fine, you make a good point there. But if you think that, why did you just tell me a lot of the answers when I first asked you for help with the Hagrid issue?_ **

**__**

_Because I wanted to you see an example of creative thinking in action, so you could understand what can be achieved if you use your mind properly._

__

**_Okay, I guess that’s fair enough. So, back to the Dursleys. You said the solution is obvious. Do you mean that I can get a signed permission slip from them before next summer? I don’t see how._ **

**__**

_Think it through._

__

Harry frowned. He thought. Then he thought some more. **_Nothing’s coming to my mind._**

__

_I’m sighing with frustration. I mean, literally sighing. Theo’s asking me why now. _

__

**_Tell him I’m right and you’re wrong._**

**__**

_Not likely. Hang on while I explain to Theo._

__

_Okay, I’ve explained and he says that as you’re a schemer in training, I should guide you through this one. Although Merlin knows, any five-year-old should be able to see the answer to the problem._

__

**_I’m a Gryffindor. We repel scheming with our shining courage._ **

**__**

_Well, that’s just ridiculous. So let’s start from the beginning._

_1._ _You would like a signed permission slip._

_2._ _Your relatives wouldn’t sign it last summer._

_3._ _Your relatives don’t expect to see you until next summer._

__

_Tell me if those facts spark off any ideas in what you’re pleased to call your mind. Don’t reply right away. Think about it._

__

Harry sighed to himself. It wasn’t much fun being told that the answer was obvious when it didn’t seem to be obvious at all. His Uncle Vernon wasn’t keen on signing the slip last summer, and that was before Harry blew up his sister, which he definitely would not have been forgiven for yet, if ever. 

**_Do I need to lie to them? (If so, totally not a problem)._ **

**__**

_Keep going._

__

**_I need to tell them something that will make them sign the slip?_ **

**__**

_Are you asking me or telling me?_

__

**_Telling you. Or if that’s not the right answer, asking you._ **

**__**

_Telling is right. Keep going._

__

**_I feel like it should be right there, but I’m still struggling._ **

**__**

_Theo says that you should think about motivation._

__

Suddenly, Harry grinned; he could understand that. **_He means the Dursleys - their motivation, right? I have to motivate them to want to sign the form. Well, they don’t want to see me until next summer, so if I was to write and say that I might need to come home at Christmas then it wouldn’t make them happy at all._ **

****

_Now we’re making progress. So?_

__

**_So, all I have to is send the permission slip to the Dursleys and ask them to sign it and send it back. I’d need a cover story. What if I said that I’m unexpectedly running out of school supplies and need to buy more?_ **

__

_Due to some reason for which they cannot reasonably blame you..._

__

**_Right! I could say that this year’s Hogwarts letter included an incorrect equipment list. As a result, I need to restock before the start of next term. I could get the supplies I need at the next Hogsmeade weekend before the end of term, but unless they make that possible by signing my permission slip, I’ll have no choice but to come home for Christmas holidays so that I can get the things I need at Diagon Alley._ **

__

_And we have a winner! Well done. It took a while, but you made it in the end._

__

Harry grinned with delight. **_I have to admit, Blaise, that’s brilliant. Really clever!_ **

__

_We Slytherins are really clever, I think you’ll find. And no, there’s no need to mention the two elephants in the room._

Blaise certainly had a way with words, Harry reflected with amusement. **_Say thanks to Theo for me. I’ll speak to you later, oh really clever one – I have a letter to write._ **

Ron and Hermione returned an hour or so afterwards, full of tales of the joys of Hogsmeade. Harry listened with great interest and asked a lot of questions about all of the things that his friends had seen and done. When Hermione commiserated with him for missing out, he was able to reassure her that thanks to Blaise’s assistance, he had every hope of joining them at Hogsmeade next time around. The cunningly worded letter to the Dursleys asking for his permission slip to be signed was already on its way to Privet Drive. Ron and Hermione were extremely pleased for him, and even Ron had to admit that Blaise was proving to be a useful friend with ideas like that. Even better, thanks to Percy’s fascinating tour of the castle, he had just as much interesting information to give them in return. They agreed to come and see the abandoned room with him the next day, which had easily been Harry’s favourite place on the tour. Despite having seen it only the once, he already thought of it as ‘his’ room. 

All in all, Harry had a much better day than he’d expected to have, thanks to Blaise and Percy. He was very cheerful at the Halloween feast and felt thoroughly content with life. Which, he thought afterwards, was practically inviting fate to ruin everything - because it was during the Halloween feast that Sirius Black broke into the castle, and Harry’s world shifted unpleasantly once more. 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hagrid's new assistant is Mundungus Fletcher, as you probably guessed. Given his general shiftiness and lack of discernible courage then I'd say he's not the best choice for supervising student interactions with dangerous creatures. However, since Hagrid needs help that he can't pay for then I could see him getting it this way, and I figured that since Fletcher was allowed to be a member of the Order of the Phoenix then Dumbledore would probably permit it. Of course it would all go wrong at some point, but that's another story!
> 
> Also, the scene where Harry and Blaise discuss the permission slip was written in response to the very fair comments I've had about Blaise being all-knowing and telling Harry all of the answers. I'm aiming for a Harry who thinks for himself a bit more from now on!


	15. Back to the drawing board

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hi there. I hope you are still enjoying this story, thanks for reading it. Many thanks also to everyone who has left kudos or comments, I'm most grateful.
> 
> All rights to the Harry Potter universe belong to JK Rowling. I don’t own Harry Potter.

**Chapter 15 – Back to the drawing board**

_No matter how well organised a project is, unexpected events can occur which lead to a requirement to revise the project team’s priorities._

The whole school was shocked by the fact that Sirius Black had managed to break in. Harry felt this as much as anyone. He had taken it for granted that Black wouldn’t be able to get anywhere near him, and that he was safe in Hogwarts. His safety, however, was clearly not as assured as he thought. 

In the immediate aftermath of Sirius Black’s desperate attempt to get at him, Harry soon found that he wasn’t allowed to go anywhere alone. If it wasn’t the Professors or the prefects showing up to keep him company in his travels around the castle then it was Percy, who was acting like a mother hen whose chick was being targeted by the local fox. Neville also made it his priority to stick with him as much as possible, which he could do even more successfully than Percy since they were both in many of the same classes. Harry found all of this annoying, even though he knew it was well meant so he tried to be patient about it. He felt rather bitterly that the Dementors weren’t exactly worth having around if they couldn’t even do the job they were supposedly there for and keep Black out. But what did it say about the man, that he could elude even them? Harry didn’t like to think of it. Clearly he was a formidable wizard, despite all of his years in Azkaban. 

The Headmaster announced the next day that Professor Snape had volunteered to lead a group of Professors who would rapidly review the castle’s defences and put in place whatever extra measures were needed to improve security. Rumour also had it that the Headmaster insisted that Professor Lupin be part of this group, despite Snape’s objections. In any case, many classes - including Defence, Charms, Transfiguration and Potions - were cancelled for the Monday and Tuesday of the next week while the review was carried out. Harry approved of this approach, but he was wondering if it went far enough. He’d just decided that it might be a good idea to speak to Professor McGonagall about it when she made this easy for him to do on Monday afternoon by summoning him to her office. 

Their discussion started off tamely enough. Professor McGonagall wanted to let him know about the threat which Black posed to him. Once she found out that he already knew that, her idea for pulling him out of quidditch training on safety grounds was rejected by an indignant Harry, who pointed out that their first match of the year was only a week away and he needed to train. Fortunately she agreed to allow training to continue, with a Professor supervising. 

“There is one more thing,” Professor McGonagall said, “with regard to the unused room which Mr. Weasley asked me about the other day. I’m afraid I will have to temporarily withdraw my permission for you to use it.” 

He stared at her. “But why?” 

“Why do you think?” she asked him tartly. “It isn’t safe, now that we know Black can get into the school. That room is in a part of the castle which isn’t used very much when lessons aren’t being carried out. I can’t permit you to go there at the moment, for your own sake. I’ve sealed the room and protected it with a password. When all of this is over, you may use it as you intended.” 

****

Harry seethed inside. He hated Black for what the man was doing to his life. It had been a really good term up to now, but because of Black it felt like everything he liked was being taken away from him. Still, he knew Professor McGonagall well enough to guess that she couldn’t be persuaded to change her mind. “Alright. I’m glad you asked to see me, Professor. I wanted to talk to you anyway, about Black. I have some questions about him.” 

“Yes, I can understand that you might. What would you like to know, Mr. Potter?” 

“Well, is there anything more you can tell me about what you’re all doing – the staff, I mean – about the situation?” 

She nodded. “We are currently carrying out a very thorough review of the school’s magical and non-magical protections. Several changes have already been made and more will follow within the next day. Professor Snape has proposed a number of really rather innovative ideas for enhancing our existing security arrangements.” 

“Have you worked out how Black gained access to the castle yet?” 

“We believe it must have been through one of the secret passages. Their defences are all being thoroughly reinforced as we speak.” 

“Will anything else be done about him, though?” 

“I don’t think there’s anything more we can do,” Professor McGonagall said ruefully. “The Aurors are concentrating their search in the area around the school, and we have the Dementors here in sizeable numbers. Our job now is to secure the castle as best we can and wait for the Ministry to catch Black.” 

“Did you teach him, when he was at Hogwarts? Was he a dark wizard then?” 

She nodded sadly. “I taught him, yes, and at the time he seemed the absolute opposite of dark. I was deeply shocked when I found out that Sirius Black was a Death Eater. He certainly hid his true views well.” 

“If he could break out of Azkaban, why didn’t he do it sooner?” 

“Well, we can only conjecture but given its high level of security, I personally think he must have spotted a momentary lapse in the prison’s defences and taken advantage of it.” 

“Is there anything else that you can tell me about him, Professor? I mean really, why is he coming after me after all this time? I’ve never met him so he can’t have anything against me personally.” 

Professor McGonagall looked evasive. “Mr. Potter, I think it would be as well for you not to concern yourself with the reasons why. After all, the man can hardly be in full possession of his senses after so many years in Azkaban.” 

Harry frowned. Professor McGonagall had answered his questions willingly so far, but now he could tell that she was anxious to keep something from him. “I want to understand the situation, Professor. Please, will you tell me everything you know?” 

She looked at him sternly. “I think we should draw this discussion to a close, Mr. Potter. Try not to think about Black and focus on quidditch and other school pursuits instead; that is my advice to you.” 

He shook his head firmly. “No, Professor. I need to know everything. I’m not a little kid; I can cope with bad news. If you won’t tell me then I’ll find someone who will.” 

“And what good will knowing do you?” she asked him. “It’s a distressing story, and it’ll be even harder for you to hear it.” 

“I’d rather know than be ignorant,” he said. 

She looked at him, and he stared back at her in silence, waiting. “Very well,” she said eventually. “Perhaps you’re right. I will tell you the whole story of Sirius Black.” 

And that was how Harry learned that Sirius Black had betrayed his parents and sold them out to Voldemort. 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

Late on Monday evening, Severus Snape was in his quarters, brewing. He stirred the mixture with care, adding the ingredients deftly as he worked. This was the potion which the _Volens Melius_ spell had possibly showed him the way to perfect. He had been working on this particular product for a long time, off and on; ever since his own student days, in fact. He would try and try and get nowhere with it, then he’d give up in exasperation, only to return to it six months or a year later when another thought occurred to him for how maybe, perhaps, it might be made to work. But no, it had always been a failure – though he came so close at times, dancing around the solution without ever quite putting his finger on it. Sometimes it felt as if the dratted thing was mocking him, and he hated being mocked. But now, well… perhaps now would be different. 

He patiently completed the final steps, watching with interest as the mixture thickened and turned a light blue colour. There was a pleasing scent, something like lemongrass although that wasn’t one of the ingredients. It looked and smelled right, at least. He decanted the mixture into a small bowl and put it aside to cool. In an hour or so, he would be able to try it - and finally see if in fact he could create the perfect shampoo after all. 

He’d been just seven years old when it had happened. His mother had sent him by floo to purchase potions ingredients from an unpleasant old witch who ran a small-scale apothecary from her rundown cottage. Mrs. Snape bought from her because the prices were cheaper than in the Diagon Alley shops, but Severus hated seeing the old woman; she was bad tempered and he was frightened of her, dreading each occasion when he was sent there. On this particular day, the witch had been upstairs when he’d arrived. Though he was highly nervous, he had a child’s curiosity and there were some artifacts in the cottage that he’d seen before and wanted to get a closer look at. He gave into temptation and started to look around, but the witch returned silently as he was examining a glass sculpture of a dragon. Startled by her screech of rage, he’d dropped the dragon and it shattered into dozens of pieces. With a roar of anger, she had yelled _“I’ll teach you, boy!”,_ and then she'd pulled out a phial of liquid from her pocket and thrown it at his head. As it sunk in, his shiny, wavy black hair - which was the one physical feature that he’d really liked about himself back then - seemed to shrivel and change into a greasy, lank mess. It had been the same ever since. 

He didn’t know what was in the liquid that the witch had dumped on his head. He’d begged her to reverse the spell but she’d kept yelling and he’d quickly flooed home to get away. When he told his parents the story, they were indifferent to his distress. His father said he was making the whole thing up, and his mother complained that she’d have to go elsewhere for ingredients now, which would cost more, because if they went back there then what if the witch wanted paying back for the cost of the dragon statue? He only had himself to blame, she’d said. It was that day when Severus finally accepted a fact which up until then he’d been trying to deny to himself - that his parents didn’t care about him very much, if at all. 

Later on at school, when people like Sirius Black made fun of his hair, he’d allowed them to do so without setting them straight. He let them think he didn’t wash it so that they didn’t find out the truth, although it didn’t seem to matter at all now - but as a child he had seen if differently. Telling the whole story could easily lead to awkward questions: people might ask why his parents didn’t confront the old woman or complain to the Ministry. The other Slytherins in his dorm had seen that he cleaned himself as often and as carefully as they did, so they accepted it when he told them he just had naturally greasy hair. But he’d never given up hope of reversing the witch’s spell. He’d gone back to the cottage when he was older, but by then she had died and a family of strangers were living there. So it was down to him to find a way to remove the curse – and he’d often tried, without success. On a couple of occasions, he’d changed the colour of his hair accidentally as a result and had to stay in his quarters until the effects wore off; burnt orange was not a good look for him, though he’d thought olive green wasn’t so bad. 

Once the shampoo was cooled, he carefully carried it to the shower and washed his hair thoroughly with it. After finishing his shower and changing into nightwear, he watched eagerly with a hand mirror as his hair gradually dried… and looked as greasy as ever. 

“So much for _Volens Melius_ and the power of elevated thinking,” Severus said to himself sourly. He threw the mirror aside and went to bed. 

Two more days passed. On the third morning, Severus awoke to find that his hair was shiny, thick, glossy and twice the length it had been when he went to bed. He took one look at himself and laughed and laughed. 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

It was a couple of days before Harry could bring himself to tell Hermione and Ron about Sirius Black. He relayed the story in jagged chunks, stopping several times to compose himself. They were as shocked as he had been when they learned that Black was supposedly his father’s best friend, and all the time he had been a Death Eater who’d basically brought about their murders. Towards the end of the conversation, Hermione had asked him whether he was sorry that he’d insisted on learning the truth. 

Harry laughed, a little bitterly. “You mean, do I wish I’d said nothing to McGonagall and gone on living in blissful ignorance? No. It’s better to know the truth; I’m going to need it.” 

“What do you mean?” she asked nervously. 

“He’s out there, Hermione,” Harry said, gesturing towards the window. “Just waiting for the opportunity to attack me – and if anyone else gets in the way, I don’t think much of their chances either. Your dad must know about all this, Ron. That’s why he told me before the start of term that I mustn’t try to go after Black. When he said that, I couldn’t think of a single reason why I would even want to. I wish that was still true!” 

“Harry, Mr. Weasley was right!” Hermione said with alarm. “You can’t try to find Black – promise me that you won’t!” 

“I promise,” Harry said steadily. 

Hermione stared at him. “That was a lot easier than I expected,” she said. 

Ron snorted with laughter, and then looked at Harry guiltily. “Sorry, mate.” 

Harry smiled. “It’s okay. Look, I’m being realistic here. I’ve been at Hogwarts just over two years and I’ve learned some useful spells, but I’m not exactly ready to go up against a wizard like Black yet. I’d fight back if I saw him, of course I would - but I’m not planning some kind of reckless attack, so don’t worry.” 

“What are you planning, then?” Ron asked. “I can see you’ve got something in mind.” 

“You remember the conversation we had the other day, when I said that it was far too soon for me to start a new quest?” 

“Yeah, sure. What about it?” 

“I was wrong.” 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

Harry remembered the early days of September, which felt like two years ago rather than just two months, when he’d struggled to work out what his first quest would be about. However, the aim of his second quest was clear from the start; to find some way of capturing Sirius Black - and if the man ended up being injured or even killed in the process then Harry didn’t think he would mind very much. Still, it wouldn’t be easy; it seemed that all the combined powers of the Ministry couldn’t hold Black, or find him after he escaped. 

The Aurors and other Ministry officials were looking for Black, he supposed. Doubtless they had all sorts of methods for tracking people down. However, he’d been out of prison for a few months now and even though they knew the area that he was probably in, the man still evaded capture. Harry had grown up with a lack of wise, helpful adults to turn to in times of trouble. As a result, now that he knew the truth about Black, he struggled with the idea of leaving the whole situation to the Ministry to resolve. Adults weren’t perfect, and sometimes they missed things that people his own age could see. Why else were they unable to deal with the basilisk last year, or Quirrell the year before that? 

Still, Harry knew he would need the adults. His plan was to come up with a clever method for capturing Black which he would then give to Dumbledore or the Ministry to implement. But to do that, he needed to know what they’d already tried so that he could think of something different. He knew they’d told the muggles about Black and that the Dementors were involved with the search, but he had no real idea what the Aurors themselves were doing. The question was, who could - and would - tell him? 

Harry didn’t know the names of any Aurors, and most of the statements in the Daily Prophet about Black were issued directly by Minister Fudge. In the end, he went to the library on Wednesday afternoon and accessed back issues of the Prophet, looking for any statement made by a member of the Auror Department in relation to dark wizards. This was a slow search, and it took him a couple of hours before he found an article referring to a Mr. Moody, who was described as one of the most committed and successful dark wizard catchers the Department had ever employed. There was a photograph of him, unsmiling and staring ahead fiercely, which Harry looked at with fascination. Clearly a man like that with scars and a false eye had been in all sorts of battles – so yes, this might be the right person to ask. He took out a piece of parchment and started to write. 

_To: Mr. Moody, Auror Department, Ministry of Magic_

_From: Harry Potter, Hogwarts school_

__

_Dear Mr. Moody,_

__

_I hope you won’t mind me writing to you – I realise you must be very busy. However, I have recently been made aware of the truth concerning Sirius Black’s betrayal of my parents. As a man whose career is all about battling against dark wizards, I hope you will understand why I’d like to know more about the situation. Black’s recent attack on my school has shown me that I can’t just sit and wait until he’s caught. Please don’t worry that I intend to go after him or anything like that. I am only a third-year student with much still to learn, and I think I’d be doing exactly what Black wants if I tried to track him down on my own. However, if I can do something to assist the Ministry to find him then I’d really like to._

__

_So, what I am asking is whether you can tell me anything about the actions which the Auror Department are taking to try and catch Black? I know that the details will be a secret, but anything you could explain to me in general would be good. I would ask though that you keep this just between us; I think the Professors here might worry if they knew I’d written to you about this stuff._

__

_With thanks,_

__

_Harry Potter_

He went to the Owlery (trailed by two over-protective prefects) and sent the letter off immediately, hoping that Mr. Moody wouldn’t tell Professor McGonagall or the Headmaster about it. He could explain if necessary, he supposed, but he didn’t want the bother of doing so. There was a bit too much fussing in his life at the moment. 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

By the following day, students across the school were starting to talk less about Sirius Black and more about the first quidditch match of the season, which was on Saturday. Harry and the rest of the Gryffindor team were training hard, despite the horrendous weather. Harry hadn’t told anyone about his letter to Mr. Moody; that way, if the whole thing blew up in his face and the Professors found out, then he could honestly tell them that Ron and Hermione knew nothing about it. 

Still, Thursday started off on a positive note for Harry when he received his Hogsmeade permission slip back, signed by Aunt Petunia. There was a brief note included with it which said: _“Don’t you dare come back for Christmas. Here’s your slip. See you in the summer and not before.” _

“Isn’t it nice to be wanted?” Harry said casually as he showed the letter and the permission slip to Ron and Hermione. “Still, it worked so that’s fine. I’ll hand this in to McGonagall at the end of Transfiguration class later.” 

“I’m glad you’ll be with us when we next visit Hogsmeade, but that’s a horrible note for your aunt to send to her own nephew,” Hermione said, looking upset. 

“You know how she feels about me. I gave up hoping for more a long time ago, Hermione.” 

Ron looked like he wanted to say something comforting but didn’t know what. “I’ll buy you a butterbeer, when we go to Hogsmeade next. You’ll really like it Harry, there are loads of interesting things to see!” 

“Thanks Ron,” he said with a smile. “I’m looking forward to it.” 

Thursday was also the day that they had Potions class back again. Harry still wasn’t sure whether Professor Snape had accepted the new order of events or not, though Blaise had told him that Snape did intend to stay on at the school. That meant there would be changes in Potions lessons next term, which interested Harry – although as it turned out, the changes were to be sooner rather than later. 

Harry’s jaw dropped as the door to the Potions classroom opened and Professor Snape directed them to enter. Snape’s normally greasy hair had been improved beyond recognition. Now looking well-washed and in excellent condition, it had also somehow become much longer overnight and was neatly tied back with a thin grey ribbon. His skin, too, looked less sallow and seemed healthier than before. Harry remembered the time that his own hair had grown back during the night after Aunt Petunia had cut it off once, but he was still astonished to see the same sort of thing happening to someone else. Glancing round, he saw that everyone was reacting similarly, even the Slytherins. Blaise was quite unable to maintain his normal air of nonchalant indifference to his surroundings, Draco and Theo looked shocked while Crabbe made a pig-like grunt of surprise. Snape looked at them as they all gazed wordlessly back at him, and a slight look of amusement registered on his face. “Enter,” he said once more, and they did so, still staring. 

Another interesting thing, Harry noticed as he took his place at their normal bench, was that Snape was dressed in robes which were very dark blue rather than his normal black. Not much of a change perhaps, but it was another sign that something unexpected had happened with Snape – and Harry, like the rest of the class, wanted very much to know what it was. 

“In this lesson we will begin a Levitating potion which is brewed in two stages, with at least a day between each stage for the potion to rest,” Snape told them. “This being so, we will spend the first half of the lesson discussing the Teaching Charter and the changes which I intend to make as a result of it.” 

There was an immediate feeling of tension, especially with the Gryffindors, and they all waited a little nervously to see what would happen next. Harry knew that many of his housemates did have concerns that Snape would find a way somehow to punish them for creating the Charter. However, at least he looked calm enough at the moment. 

“So, as to the specifics,” Snape said. “As Head of House for Slytherin, I already hold regular conversations with the Slytherin students about their work on a one to one basis. I will now also conduct interviews with Gryffindor students in all years to discuss Potions. These will be arranged over the coming weeks, with the aim of completing them by the end of term and annually thereafter. I am beginning with years 5 and 7 since they have OWL and NEWT examinations this year, and then I will work from year 6 downwards. During these discussions, I will be talking to you about your work to date, how you can best reach your potential in Potions and any difficulties which you may have with regard to this subject. Gryffindor students, please give some thought to these matters over the next couple of weeks, and also bring your class schedule with you to your next Potions lesson so that I can issue you with an appointment. Should you be nervous of seeing me alone, you may attend in pairs.” 

Neville nudged Harry in the elbow at this point. Harry glanced across at him and nodded, after which Neville looked much relieved. Hermione, who was the only Gryffindor to look excited rather than nervous at the idea of a personalised talk with Snape about Potions, put up her hand. 

“Yes, Miss Granger?” 

“Would it be possible for me to have an early appointment, Professor?” she burst out excitedly. “I do have quite a few questions that I’d like to ask about Potions lessons, and the work over the next couple of years. I mean, our OWLs will be here before we know it!” 

Ron rolled his eyes at this and a couple of the other students giggled but Snape showed no visible reaction. “Very well. At the end of the lesson I will assign you a time slot. Anyone else who also wishes to speak with me sooner rather than later, remain behind as well.” 

“Thank you, Professor!” Hermione said brightly. He nodded briefly at her. 

“Now, so that you are clear as to the standards expected of you, I have compiled a short guidance note detailing the expectations for achieving each grade which will be applied to all third-year work from now on.” Snape flicked his wand and a parchment flew towards each person. “Take a few moments to read it, and then I will explain further.” 

Harry looked at the parchment. Snape had provided clear and detailed explanations of the standards applicable for essays and other written work, and examples for various markings from high to low. Below that, there were similar notes on scores for practical work in the classroom. He felt a trickle of excitement; with the marking approach so clearly specified, surely it would be possible to improve his grades from now on. 

“As you know, the Teaching Charter officially takes effect from next term,” Snape said. “However, it seems only logical to use the same set of standards for the entire school year, in order to maintain consistency. I will therefore be revisiting the marks which I have given each of you this term for practical and written work, using these standards. If you were undermarked then your grades will be raised. If you were overmarked then your grade will not be dropped, but I will explain to you where you were falling short and give you practical tips on how to improve.” 

Harry raised his hand, feeling rather daring. “Sir, will that be the case for all of our work in future? It would be useful for us all to have more feedback on where we’ve gone wrong.” 

Snape looked at him, and Harry couldn’t for the life of him read the expression in those eyes – but there was no visible anger, which was a first in all of the time he’d known Snape. “In that case, you will be pleased to hear that commentary notes will be provided on all work as standard from now on, Mr Potter. Now, let us touch on safety during lessons. In the future, I expect there to be no clashes between the Gryffindor and Slytherin students in this class. You will all co-exist harmoniously while in my classroom,” Snape said, casting a sweeping look across the room. “Each of you will keep your focus on your work and do nothing which might damage anyone else’s potion. From now on also, I expect you in your pairs to talk to each other as you work – but only about the potion that you are brewing, not any gossiping. This should help with potion safety, as you should check with each other before carrying out important steps. If you are uncertain about any point, you should ask me immediately. Also, at the end of each lesson I will be informing you which potion you will be preparing in the following lesson. I expect each of you to read the instructions for it before the lesson and make notes of any questions you have. Try to find the answers yourself if you can, otherwise I will take questions before brewing commences.” 

Pansy Parkinson raised a hand. “Professor, there is something else that I find quite difficult during Potions lessons. There are _certain_ Gryffindors,” she said with a scathing look at Neville, “who seem to explode their potions all of the time, and I was just wondering if it might be possible to stop them, somehow? It’s distracting, and a danger to everyone else.” The Gryffindors were all glaring at her, and she smiled smugly in response. 

“Gryffindor students are not the only ones to ruin their potions, Miss Parkinson,” he told her crisply. “However, you have brought up an interesting point. I will be seeking to substantially reduce the number of exploding potions in future. I will be providing more detailed explanations as to the most dangerous steps for each potion in advance. I have also started working with Professors Babbling, Vector and Flitwick to try and develop a shield which can contain the contents of cauldrons if they do explode – but that will probably be a project which will take at least a month to finish. In the meantime, careful work and applying simple observation skills are our best assistants where potion safety is concerned. I will be carrying out regular inspections of each pair’s work during the lessons, as usual.” 

Snape paused and looked at them all for a moment. “Now, I have a question for the Gryffindors in the room. All of you have recently petitioned for changes in teaching standards. Are you, as a result of such changes, hoping to improve your Potions grades?” Each of the Gryffindors looked at him hesitantly; they were sure it had to be a trick question, but they couldn’t see where the trick was. “Is anyone able to answer me?” Snape asked calmly. 

“Yes sir,” Harry said hesitantly. “I mean, the answer is yes, we would like to improve our grades.” 

“Then know this, all of you,” Snape said, looking at each of them in turn fiercely, “I believe that all of you are capable of achieving improved grades, but this is not something that I will simply give to you. High scores have to be worked for and earned, so please do not take them for granted. I will assist you, but if you do not put in as much effort as you can and work hard then you won’t reach anything like your potential. Do your best, each of you - because from now on, I will settle for nothing less. Any other questions?” 

Dean Thomas put up his hand. “Professor, there are a few lessons I missed last term because I was ill, so there are some Potions that I haven’t done which the others have. I sometimes get a bit worried that they might come up on the OWLs. I was wondering if there might be chance to work on them at some point in the future?” 

Snape considered this. “I am planning, from next term, to arrange for smaller tuition sessions for students who need additional training, for whatever reason. I should be able to add the potions you missed to those sessions.” 

“Great, thanks Professor,” Dean said with relief. 

Neville, who’d been watching Professor Snape with increasing interest, did something he’d never tried before in this classroom and raised his hand. “Professor, erm… I was just thinking that, well, er, Harry and I go to Potions club and we’ve been trying out a lot of the potions that have given us trouble there. It’s been really good,” he said, with a defiant glance at Pansy Parkinson, who pulled a face. “So I was thinking that, well, if there were open lessons that people could come to if they wanted to work on a problem potion and have a second go at it. Erm, optional practice lessons I mean…” His voice trailed off as the effort of keeping on talking under the weight of Snape’s intense stare became too much for him. 

“An interesting suggestion,” Snape replied, looking thoughtful. “Yes, that could be useful. I will consider whether it can be fitted into next term’s schedules. Ten points to Gryffindor for showing initiative, Mr. Longbottom.” Neville’s eyes opened wide in shock, Ron gaped and most of the other Gryffindors stared in astonishment. “You’ll get used to it,” Snape said drily. “Now, let us begin the practical part of the lesson.” 

Harry grinned at Neville and whispered “Well done!” as they went to collect the ingredients they needed. Neville smiled back. 

For the remainder of the lesson, they all worked hard. Harry was immensely cheered up at seeing his Charter in action for the first time. Snape was still stern, and still definitely intimidating. However, there were no verbal attacks and sarcasm. When he explained things – and this time, he _really_ explained them – they made much more sense. A number of the pairs were quiet as they worked at first, but Harry decided to set the example by verbalising practically everything with Neville and others quickly followed. He was very pleased when the first stage of their potion went quite well; it was almost the exact shade of purple that they were aiming for. Snape inspected it and nodded. 

“Stir it counter-clockwise at least ten times next lesson before beginning the second phase and the required colour should appear. Five points for a successful first stage.” 

“Thank you, Sir,” he said politely. Snape looked at him, again with that unfathomable gaze, before moving away. “Clear down your benches, everyone, and you may then leave. There will be no homework until next lesson. Miss Granger, come up to my desk and we will schedule your appointment.” 

“That was amazing,” Neville said when they’d all left the room a few minutes later. “I got actual points in Potions class! We both did!” 

Harry patted him on the back. “Congratulations, Neville. I bet you never thought that would happen!” 

“And he gave Hermione five points for effective knife skills, and Seamus and Lavender got five points each for their potion being pretty much perfect,” Ron said. “Honestly, if he goes on like that then with that hundred points we already got, the House Cup’s as good as ours this year!” 

“He must hate having to give us points,” Dean said. “Though I have to say, he hid it well.” 

“Yeah, he did,” Ron agreed, smirking. “It’s a good start but do you think he can keep it up? Being not a monster, I mean.” 

“He did well at it today, so I don’t see why not,” Harry said hopefully. “That Potions lesson was so much easier than usual! When we get our next homework essay, I’m going to try and get a good mark. Also, I think Snape’s under-marked a lot of my essays so I’m hoping he’ll up quite a few of my grades when they’re reviewed.” 

“I’m just glad that none of the grades are going to be put down,” Ron said. “Mind you, I’m not looking forward to going to see Snape for that interview. Why you wanted to talk to him before you had to Hermione, I can’t imagine!” 

“You should have gone for a joint interview with Hermione, then,” Harry said with a grin. “She would have hogged all of the conversation and you wouldn’t have needed to say a thing.” 

Ron groaned. “You’re right! What a wasted opportunity!” 

“I’m sure I wouldn’t have been that bad,” Hermione said with a smile. “But you’ll never know, will you Ron?” 

“Yeah, thanks for that. Well anyway, it won’t be for weeks so I’m not going to think about it. Come on, let’s go and tell everyone about Snape’s hair!” 

The news about Professor Snape’s improved personal appearance travelled around the school faster than a quidditch player on a firebolt. Everyone was talking about it – including the staff, who were as surprised and intrigued as everyone else. Why, if Snape was actually capable of making himself look perfectly un-greasy, had he never done so before? The twins, who had also had Potions with Snape that day, were fascinated by this deep philosophical question. Harry found out about this later that same day, when they intercepted him as he headed back to the common room. 

“Got a minute, Harry?” George asked him casually. “We wanted to talk to you about something.” 

Harry stopped. “I’ll be okay now, thanks,” he said to the Ravenclaw prefect who’d walked him back. He didn’t particularly want to talk to the twins, but he knew it was more than time he did. The prefect smiled and headed off. 

“There’s a classroom down there,” Fred said. “Nice and quiet.” They sat down in the classroom and Harry waited, a little nervously, for what the twins had to say to him. 

“So Harry,” George began, “there’s something we want to ask you. We’ve got a project in mind which could be fairly lucrative for the three of us. However, we’ll have to act fast if we want to cash in - very fast.” 

Harry blinked. “Erm, well…” 

“Before we get to that though, we did want to say sorry for coming into your dorm the other day. You’re right, we were out of line,” Fred said. 

“We’re not just saying that because we’d like your assistance with our new project,” George assured him. “We do feel bad about what happened. We know we just took it for granted that you’d say yes to the brother thing. It was stupid of us.” 

“Yeah, we were a bit conceited there, I reckon,” Fred added. “And we will treat Ron better in future.” 

Harry looked at them both and decided that they were being sincere. “I feel bad too,” he said. “I was a bit tough on you both. I lost my temper. I wished afterwards that I’d thought of a nicer way to say what I was thinking. Can we put it behind us?” 

“An excellent idea,” Fred declared, smiling. He held out his hand to Harry. “No hard feelings?” 

“None,” he said, feeling much better. He shook hands with Fred, and then with George. “So, tell me about your great financial plan.” 

The twins grinned. “Well Harry, it’s very simple,” George told him. “As you know, our favourite Potions Professor has decided to give himself a makeover. We thought that since people have noticed this and been talking about it, we might cash in by setting up a betting pool on the subject.” 

Harry laughed. “How on earth would that work?” 

“Glad you ask!” Fred said. “We decided a simple format would work best. Two sickles per guess, and we’ll offer people some options or they can put in their own ideas. The winners share half the prize pot between them and the three of us share the other half. We have to run this tomorrow though, while interest is sky-high, to get the most customers. Look, this is what we’ve come up with.” 

He pulled a piece of parchment out of his bag and unrolled it. Harry read it and started to laugh. 

**_WEASLEY’S WONDERFUL SNAPE SWEEPSTAKES!_**

__

_He’s gone from greasy to gorgeous, but why?_

_We know the answer!_

_Choose one of our suggestions below or come up with your own! Two sickles per guess!_

_Win a lot of money if you get it right (maybe)!_

~ The Headmaster made him do it! ~ 

~ He got fed up with the other teachers complaining about his looks (or locks)! ~ 

~ Someone gave him a fake version of the Teaching Charter with an appearance section in! ~ 

~ He’s finally met that special someone and wants to impress them! ~ 

~ He’s using shampoo as a forfeit because he lost a bet with someone! ~ 

~ His hair-do broke the camera when his picture was taken by the Daily Prophet’s photographer! ~ 

_Take part in this wonderful opportunity which will never come again! Have fun! Win cash!_

_Today only! Answer revealed this evening! You will be amazed!_

_A Fred and George Weasley enterprise!_

Harry giggled. “This is funny. Snape and that special someone – yuk! But where do I come in to this?” 

“Ah well, there’s just one problem Harry,” George said. “Despite what we’ve written there, we don’t know the answer. Nobody does, that’s why it’s such a hot topic of conversation. We’ve tried to find out all afternoon but we couldn’t. And we can’t pay out the winner if we don’t know what the real reason is. But we thought, well… you have some Slytherin friends who could possibly enlighten us if you asked them to?” 

“They’ll never tell me!” Harry protested. “They don’t let me know any Slytherin secrets.” 

“Just check with them and see what they say, that’s all we ask,” Fred told him. “Any chance of talking to one of them tonight? I know you can send them messages, Ron mentioned it.” 

“Maybe, yes,” Harry replied reluctantly. “I’ll ask them and let you know the answer in the morning - but no promises, okay?” They nodded eagerly. 

Harry mulled this over once he was back in the dorm. The sweepstakes seemed like a fun idea and he wanted it to happen, though not if it might damage the progress made in his quest. It would help people to keep cheerful as well, instead of worrying about Black - but Blaise was notoriously unwilling to share any secrets from the snakes’ den with him. So, should he go for the open and honest approach to getting what the twins wanted or try something sneaky and devious? In the end, Harry chose to be relatively open and honest. This was mostly because Blaise had once told him that he had all the natural sneakiness of a soggy biscuit. As an insult it made no sense at all, but Harry thought it had still got the point across. 

**_Evening Blaise, and Theo if you’re there too._**

**__**

_Hey Harry. Theo’s not back yet. Good day? I assume that Potions would have been a highlight._

__

**_Yeah, it was great. I liked the changes. And Neville and I got points!_ ** __

__

_True. I was pleased for you both._

__

**_And also, another good thing, I’ve just sorted everything out with Fred and George. They said sorry, I said sorry, we’re all ok now._ **

**__**

_A wise move. Those two are not good to have as enemies. I am very glad not to be in the same year as them!_

__

**_Well, it was them who made the first move. I’d been putting it off. Thing is, they wanted my help with something so we had to get past the argument first. They were really sorry though, not just saying it._ **

**__**

_Right. And what did they want your help with?_

__

**_Okay, so you might not like this…_**

**__**

_You’re correct, I don’t._

__

**_I haven’t explained yet, even!_**

**__**

_I’m listening, but consider me at twelve on the one to ten scale of suspicion and unwillingness to get involved._

__

**_I thought you’d see it like that. I don’t blame you._ **

**__**

_Moving to thirteen. Are you ever going to explain what the terrors want?_

__

**_They’d like to run a sweepstakes tomorrow for people to guess the reason why Snape’s de-greased his hair. Two sickles a guess, build up a prize fund. It won’t work though unless they know the reason why so that they can pay out the winner. Do you know anything about it? And if you do, will you tell me? (Or would that break the secrets rule?)_ **

__

_Well, I do know the reason why... one of our prefects explained it to me earlier. There was a Slytherin prefects’ meeting tonight and Professor Snape told them the whole story._

**_Did the prefect tell you to keep it secret?_**

**__**

_No, but that was implicit._

__

**_I understand. I don’t care either way, I’m just asking for the twins. If it’s a no then not a problem._ **

**__**

_Would they be willing to pay for the information?_

__

**_The plan is to share out the prize pot. Half goes to the winner or winners, the rest we split between us. I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t include you in that, thought it might not add up to very much. You can have my share as well if you’d like._ **

**__**

_I don’t want money. I’m a Zabini, we’re filthy rich. I’d want the twins to do something for me. Look, wait there – I’ll go and check with the prefect and come back to you. Might be a little while._

__

**_Okay._**

__

Harry read a book until Blaise returned, feeling himself getting sleepier as he did so. It was half an hour later when he got another message. 

_Still there?_

__

**_Yup._**

**__**

_Right then. There’s a rather quiet Slytherin first-year, Shawn Morris, who’s being pushed around by a couple of nasty sixth-year Ravenclaws – Randolf Burrow and Felix Brunt. Those two are cousins as well as close friends. The Burrow and Morris families are business competitors, so the Ravenclaws have decided to bully the son of their family’s rival and make his life miserable. Morris is quiet as I said, so he hasn’t gone to Professor Snape about it or told anyone; he’s just trying to keep his head down and hoping it stops, but of course it hasn’t._

__

**_It never does with bullies. Something has to be done to make them stop._ **

__

_I couldn’t agree more. Morris’s mother is acquainted with mine, so Mother wrote to me recently and asked me to check on him. Mrs. Morris doesn’t know about the bullying – she can just tell from her son’s letters home that he’s really unhappy at school for some reason. I cornered Morris yesterday and got the whole story out of him, but he begged me not to tell any other Slytherins. I promised I wouldn’t to calm him down, though I didn’t like it. Of course he wouldn’t want me telling you either - but if it’ll help him then I think it’s worth it. I know how you feel about bullies, so I imagine you’d be fine with asking the twins to deal with the problem for me? It needs to be a lesson that those Ravenclaws won’t forget in a hurry._

__

**_Sounds like a job that the twins were made for. Do we have an agreement then?_ **

__

_Yes. The prefect signed off on it, though I couldn’t tell him any of the finer details. He wouldn’t have approved it except that he knows it’ll help a Slytherin, and apparently Professor Snape isn’t that concerned about keeping the whole thing a secret anyway. You’ll have to make sure the twins hold up their end of the bargain. Tell them that there needs to be results within the week, please. They have to keep the stuff about Morris a secret and make sure he doesn’t suffer as a result of their actions. And if people ask how they know about Snape’s hair, they should say that they overheard a conversation that they weren’t meant to between two of the teachers. They can blame it on Hagrid if they have to name names. Understood? The prefect and I will keep quiet about the sweepstakes and we won’t tell anyone here, but in return we don’t want our involvement in it to become public knowledge._

__

**_Got it. So what’s the answer, then?_**

__

_Professor Snape was cursed by a witch as a child and this affected his appearance. He only recently managed to come up with a way to remove the curse._

__

**_What, really? That’s what actually happened?_**

__

_On my honour as a Zabini, yes._

__

**_Bizarre! Well I suppose you’ve saved me wasting two sickles because I’d never have guessed that for my sweepstakes entry if I was able to take part. Thanks for helping out, Blaise. You’re a good friend._ **

**__**

_Nice of you to say so but believe me, if anything you’ve done me a favour. I’ve been pondering potential solutions to this issue all day so it’s a good result for me. I look forward to seeing what the Weasleys come up with. By the way, what will they do if nobody gets the right answer in the sweepstakes?_

__

**_Don’t know - good point, I’ll ask them that tomorrow._ **

Harry took the twins to a quiet corner of the common room before breakfast, made them promise to keep the conversation a secret and told them that there was a deal on the table. They looked very excited. Harry then shared with them the whole story of the attacks on Shawn Morris and exactly what Blaise wanted them to do about it. The twins were grinning widely by the end, and they laughed heartily when Harry led on to the hair-raising conclusion. 

“Cursed?!” George said, after he finally calmed down. “I’m almost tempted to feel sorry for the guy. Imagine if it happened to us – we’d probably get everyone calling us Frightful Fred and Greasy George!” 

“And if it was me then I’d be Horrible Harry,” he said, laughing. “So, you’re happy with Blaise’s terms then?” 

“Absolutely,” Fred replied with a predatory grin. “It’ll be a genuine pleasure. We’ve had trouble with Burrow and Blunt a couple of times ourselves. When we were new firsties, they tried to ambush us the day after George tripped over Blunt’s chair in the library by accident and knocked some of his books off the table. We apologised at the time as well, but they were still right nasty about it.” 

George smiled reminiscently. “They thought that we’d be easy prey because it was our first term. We soon showed them that they were mistaken.” 

“I’ll bet you did,” Harry said. “What do you have in mind for dealing with them?” 

Fred looked smug. “Not sure yet, but don’t worry – we’ll make sure the punishment fits the crime. We’ll do the sweepstakes today and start planning for it tomorrow at the latest. It’ll happen quickly; just give us a few days.” 

Harry grinned. “And there won’t be any consequences for Morris?” 

“None at all,” Fred confirmed, “for him or the others.” 

“What others?” Harry asked. 

George gave him a knowing look. “If you’re a nasty piece of work who thinks it’s a good idea to bully younger students then you never stop at just the one, Harry. There’ll be others, you wait and see.” 

Harry thought of his cousin Dudley, who would pick on younger kids whenever he had chance, and nodded. “Yeah, I expect so.” 

“Right then, we’d better get to work,” Fred said. “Those sweepstakes tickets won’t sell themselves, you know!” 

“Oh, that reminds me – Blaise asked what you’ll do if nobody guesses the right answer?” 

“We thought of that,” George said. “We’ll either award the prize to whoever gets closest, or if nobody does then we’ll pull names out of a hat. I reckon someone’ll get it though.” 

“Do me a favour,” Harry said. “Offer Ron some of the prize money if he sells tickets as well? Don’t tell him it was my idea. He can have my share, so a third each for the three of you. After all, you’ve got a lot of ground to cover if you want this sorted out today. Don’t forget, the Slytherins probably all know the answer already, so you’ll have to be careful to run this thing without any of them finding out you’re doing it. They could easily sabotage it by telling everyone the reason, then the whole thing would be ruined.” 

“Fair enough,” George said cheerfully. “Pity we can’t sell the Slytherins any tickets then - that rules out a quarter of our potential market, but there you are. See you later, Harry.” 

“Bye,” he said smiling as he watched Fred and George walk away. He chuckled to himself. “As if any Slytherin would buy something off those two…” 

He took out his memo and sent a quick note to Blaise before heading down to breakfast. 

**_Twins are on board and very happy to do what you asked. Results to be expected in a few days. Speak later._ **

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

That same morning, Harry received a letter back from Mr. Moody. He read it when he had a few minutes alone before lunch. 

_Mr Potter,_

__

_Interesting letter you sent me. I’ll take you at your word when you say that you won’t try to find Black. Wise of you. I know you’ll want to get him; you’re looking for justice or revenge, or both. That’s why you contacted me, isn’t it? I’d feel the same in your place so I understand. But remember, Black’s as cunning and ruthless as any Dark Wizard ever can be. You could easily under-estimate someone like that, and it’d be the last mistake you ever made._

__

_I’ll tell you something of what we’re doing; I’d say that given everything, you have a right to know. But this goes no further, you understand? I’d get in trouble if it was found out that I’d told you all of this, though it’s not so long till I retire and they can’t do much to me, thankfully. I won’t tell anyone you wrote to me, so don’t you tell anyone that I wrote back. Destroy this letter after you’ve read it. I’ve charmed it so that only you can see what I’ve written, but you can’t be too careful._

__

_Well then, you’ll have read in the paper that we’re working with the muggles. They’ve put his picture in the muggle papers and on the news. They’re also on the lookout for Black at the big train stations, ferry ports and so on. He’s shown no signs of wanting to flee the country, as you know all too well, but that might change. Mind you, if he wanted to run that far he could just go to a quiet harbour, find some muggle with a small boat and use the Imperius to make the muggle take him anywhere he wanted. You might not like it, but personally I’m glad he’s obsessed with killing you because it means he won’t leave Britain. Hunting dark wizards gets a lot harder when they hide in other parts of the world._

__

_Anyway, we’re keeping the old Black family house in London under constant watch – covert stuff, we’re being careful about that, he won’t know we’re there. We’re not trying to force our way in because the old place probably has dark curses crawling all over it, and besides we want it to stay undisturbed in case Black attempts to sneak in. There are a couple of old friends of his from school that we’re talking to. None of them have seen him, as far as we can tell. Apart from that, we’ve increased coverage in the Ministry, Hogsmeade and the surrounding countryside, and also Diagon Alley – and we’ve asked all of the residents to watch out for any sign of Black as well. We’d keep a permanent Auror presence in Hogwarts as well if Dumbledore would allow it, which he won’t. I’ll leave you to decide if that’s right or wrong, but I expect you can guess what I think._

__

_You seem like a smart enough lad, so I think you’ll take me seriously when I tell you this – constant vigilance! That’s my way of working, and it’s what I tell all of my trainees. Don’t drop your guard, not ever. Take every precaution to ensure your own safety, especially while Black’s free. Don’t wander around alone. Don’t go anywhere isolated. Stay in well-populated parts of the school and keep people you trust around you. Watch out for odd behaviour though, even with your best friends – you never know when a dark wizard can attack them and take control, then they’ll make people do things they don’t want to. Stay alert at all times. If you need anything, write to me again._

__

_AM_

__

After reading Mr. Moody’s letter, Harry felt an absurd urge to laugh. He wasn’t sure why because the letter wasn’t exactly a fun read, and the last paragraph brought to mind uncomfortable memories of Ginny being possessed by Voldemort’s diary the year before. Maybe it was just the fact that Moody was so very delighted at him being Black’s target. Still, he’d got the information he wanted. He couldn’t see any obvious gap in the Auror Department’s strategy for apprehending Black, but he was determined to think of something else to try. Not just yet though – tomorrow was Saturday and he would be playing quidditch. Harry decided that he’d start making plans very soon for dealing with Black – later in the weekend perhaps, once the game was finished. For now he destroyed the letter as requested and tried to put Black out of his mind. 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

Friday’s Snape Sweepstakes was an immediate hit. The mood of the school was much improved as a result of the imminent quidditch match anyway, and the twins’ latest scheme happened at just the right time to be popular. After the scare that Black had given everyone, people wanted to be cheered up and have a laugh. Ron, Fred and George sold sweepstakes tickets almost non-stop the entire day when they weren’t in lessons. They were able to keep the Slytherins in ignorance of their operation, although it was a close thing at times and they only just managed to avoid getting caught by a Slytherin prefect on a couple of occasions. The great result was to be announced at 9pm, with Ron and George going to the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff common rooms respectively to deliver the news while Fred told the Gryffindors at the same time. Ron was thrilled at the opportunity to make extra cash, which he planned to use on buying Christmas presents when he next went to Hogsmeade. Hermione didn’t buy a ticket as she thought it would look bad if she got the correct answer, but she agreed to help supervise the process of selecting the winner or winners. 

“You won’t believe some of the guesses I’ve been given!” Ron told Hermione and Harry that evening in the common room when he got back after he’d finished selling tickets. He had so much money with him that his bag clinked as he moved. “People are paying two sickles a go for this thing and they’ve come up with the strangest ideas!” 

“Such as?” Hermione said with a giggle. 

Ron grinned. “Tamsin Applebee said Snape’s got a secret love child and they’ve told him that he’s an embarrassing Dad and he has to sort himself out or they won’t speak to him. Lisa Turpin thinks Snape inherited a shampoo-making company recently so he has to model the company’s products. Asish Patel believes he’s got a wedding to go to soon and the bride’s worried he’ll spoil the wedding photos by looking a mess. Oh, and Jason Samuels swears Snape’s had a crippling fear of hair washing for years which he’s just cured by going to see a mind healer.” 

Harry laughed. “Has anyone gone with Fred and George’s selections?” 

“Nah, most people thought that those are just jokes and they’d never put the real answer on the notice. A couple of Ravenclaws picked them – they said it might be a massive double bluff. Nobody who bought tickets from me got the right answer,” Ron said, lowering his voice. “Don’t know if Fred and George had any correct guesses.” 

The three of them met the twins by appointment at 8.30pm in an empty classroom. Percy was with them, having taken it upon himself to keep an eye on things and ensure fair play. Fred and George were in extremely high spirits because they too had enjoyed a very successful day selling tickets to the sweepstakes. They put the lists of student names and guesses on the table along with the money and counted up the number of entries. 

“Three hundred and forty-three guesses!” George exclaimed in triumph. “Of course, some people had more than one try.” 

“Did anyone get it right?” Percy asked. 

George grinned. “Yeah, two people guessed it. One was a Hufflepuff first-year as well, would you believe? Gillian Ossette, it was. And a Ravenclaw fourth-year was the other one - Eddie Carmichael. Well, at least nobody can accuse us of favouring our own House.” 

Fred was busy scribbling calculations on a piece of paper. “So, two sickles times three hundred and forty-three entries, then divide by seventeen to change to galleons… okay, so that’s forty galleons and six sickles. The winners share half of the prize pot, that makes it – yeah, so how about if we give Gillian and Eddie ten galleons and three sickles each, then we’ll share out the other twenty galleons. So me and George and Ron, we each get… six galleons and eleven sickles, with one sickle left over, which I can have because this sum was really hard so I deserve it. Hermione, check my adding up, will you?” 

“It’s correct,” she said after looking over his calculations. 

“Not bad for a day’s work!” Ron said excitedly. “I’ll have loads of fun at Hogsmeade next time. And me and George get to hand over the prizes which should be interesting. You’ve got the tough job, Fred, since none of the Gryffindors won anything…” 

“I hope they won’t get rowdy,” Fred said, looking slightly concerned. “I don’t like being man-handled. It’s bad for my sense of inner dignity.” 

“I’ll stay in the common room and make sure they don’t cause any fuss,” Percy said, self-importantly. “As an impartial witness, I can confirm that everything was done fairly. In fact, perhaps we ought to do that for the other Houses as well, just in case. Hermione, will you go with Ron - and Harry, you go with George?” 

“Fine,” Harry said, and Hermione agreed as well. “Let’s get started then, it’s nearly nine.” 

Harry accompanied George to the Hufflepuff common room, which he was amused to think would be his second visit there in just a few days. They were playing to a packed crowd of badgers as George, with the exuberant air of a natural showman, announced the winner with great pomp and pizazz. The Hufflepuffs roared with laughter when he told them what had actually happened to Snape’s hair – which perhaps was a little cruel, but it was Snape after all – and clapped with great generosity when an embarrassed but thrilled Gillian Ossette came up to collect her prize. 

“Thanks for your help with our little scheme, Harry,” George said as they walked back to the Gryffindor common room. “We couldn’t have done it without you, and you didn’t see a single knut!” 

“I don’t mind,” Harry said. “It cheered the day up so I’m happy.” 

“And about that other matter,” George said meaningfully, “it’s coming along nicely. Let’s just say we’re putting a couple of items from our wardrobe to very good use.” 

“What items? And what use, exactly?” 

George winked. “Best you not know, then you’ll look as surprised as everyone else. We’ve decided to give up our anonymity for this one. It’s one of our best efforts, if I do say so myself, so we want to sign our names to it, even if it does mean detention. They’d guess it was us anyway – nobody else in the school is clever enough to pull this off. I’m glad your pal Zabini asked for our help in dealing with those two Ravenclaws. Who knew that cross-house cooperation could be so very satisfying?” 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This chapter contains the first signs of how Snape’s actions are changing as a result of the Volens Melius spell, compared to canon events. He’s still the Snape we know and love/hate in most ways, but he can put his own feelings aside and make more rational decisions. In canon, Snape teaches the werewolf lesson while covering for Lupin in third-year Defence class during this week. This doesn’t happen in my story because although Snape still mistrusts Lupin, he’s got other priorities now and isn’t focused on making the students realise that their Defence Professor is a werewolf. (Lupin would still have been absent after the full moon, I’ve just assumed that another Professor covered for him). I do intend as part of this story to make Snape face up to the mistakes he’s made, that will be covered in upcoming chapters.
> 
> And also, that sweepstakes calculation took me over fifteen minutes on Excel and even with a spreadsheet to help, it was a bit tricky! I am so glad that muggle Britain has decimal currency…


	16. The deep dive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All rights to the Harry Potter universe belong to JK Rowling. I don’t own Harry Potter.
> 
> A/N: Hello all. Many thanks for all of the comments I’ve received and the kudos also. I hope you are still enjoying the story.

_Projects are run by (and depend on) people, and people can be unpredictable. A project manager needs to take this into account during their planning processes and adapt quickly if changes are needed._

It was Sunday evening, and Harry was spending a long and depressing day in the hospital wing. The Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff quidditch match had come to an abrupt end for Harry when the Dementors tore into the school grounds and invaded the pitch. Unable to deal with their assault on his mind and emotions, and living through a vivid remembrance of his mother’s terrible death over and over, he’d fallen off his broomstick and been knocked out. Match lost, broomstick smashed, weekend ruined. 

People had visited him regularly while he’d been in the hospital wing. In fact he’d had a lot of company and he’d tried to be cheerful for them, but he struggled to deal with all of it. He was so vulnerable to those _things_ , and he hated it. Still, Harry was relieved whenever his friends arrived; talking to them helped to take his mind off his troubles. 

“You have a couple of Slytherin visitors, Mr. Potter,” Madam Pomfrey told him, and he heard the slight questioning tone in her voice. 

“Is it Blaise Zabini and Theo Nott?” he asked. “If so, I’d like to see them.” 

“Very well, I’ll let them in then.” 

Harry grinned as Blaise and Theo came in and sat down. “About time you two showed up.” 

“Hello to you too,” Theo said with a smile. 

Blaise grinned at him. “We did ask Hermione to pass on our best wishes for your recovery yesterday. I hope she did so? Good. But we had to find the right moment to sneak in. It’s dinner time now and everyone’s in the Great Hall. It’s probably a fatuous question but how are you feeling?” 

“Better,” he said with a sigh. “I’ll be back in school tomorrow.” 

“He didn’t just mean your physical health,” Theo commented. “Madam Pomfrey told us that you’re almost back to normal. How are you feeling about things?” 

Harry shrugged awkwardly. “I didn’t like losing the game.” 

“You’re competitive, of course you didn’t like losing the game!” Blaise said. “Talk to us, Harry. Because I know you well enough to be fairly certain that your encounter with the Dementors is troubling you - a lot.” 

“There’s no point in talking about it, Blaise. They affect me more than they do everyone else, and no doubt Malfoy will be laughing his head off at my expense for the next month about it.” 

“Yes, he will,” Blaise agreed readily. “But you know how to handle him now, so let’s talk about something more interesting. Yesterday I asked Professor Lupin about Dementors, and about spells that could be used against them. I thought you might like some more information on the subject.” 

Harry was immediately interested. “Yeah, definitely. What did he say?” 

“Well, I went to his office yesterday afternoon. The door was open a little and as I got close to it, I heard Professor Snape talking to Lupin. I may have eavesdropped slightly at this point... a common thing to do, but somehow the situation seemed to call for it. They were talking about you, Harry. Professor Snape was telling Lupin that your defences against Dementors clearly need to be strengthened and that he should teach you ‘the charm’. Lupin replied that it was very advanced magic and someone your age couldn’t be expected to learn it, but Professor Snape insisted that you be allowed to try. He told Lupin he’d teach you himself if he had to, and eventually Lupin agreed that he’d speak to you about it.” 

“Really?” Harry said excitedly. “I’d love to learn how to fight back against a Dementor.” 

“I thought you’d be pleased,” Blaise replied with a satisfied smile. “Anyway, I retreated down the corridor at that point so as not to be caught, and five minutes after Professor Snape had gone, I went in to Lupin’s office. As I knew that it wasn’t necessary to ask him to help you, I decided instead to learn more about this charm. I told him that I had a friend who was strongly affected by Dementors and that I was concerned for them, and so on. Lupin assumed it was a Slytherin friend, of course. He just tried to dismiss what I was saying by assuring me that everything would be fine and my friend shouldn’t worry about the Dementors as they wouldn’t cause any more trouble.” A note of contempt came into his voice at this point. 

“Did he tell you anything else?” 

“I asked about preventive spells. He said there’s a charm that can be used to defend against a Dementor; the Patronus Charm. That will be the one that Professor Snape was referring to. It’s very advanced - beyond NEWT level, apparently. He also told me that my friend probably couldn’t learn it unless they were a seventh-year or something, and even then, they might not manage it. A lot of adult witches and wizards can’t cast it.” 

“Oh,” Harry said dismally. 

“Don’t pay any attention to that,” Theo told him firmly. “Any spell can be learned if you work hard enough. And you have the motivation, too. I’ve seen how much you apply yourself when we’ve been duelling; I know you can do it.” 

“Thanks, Theo.” 

“I also asked Professor Lupin why some wizards, such as yourself, are more affected by the Dementors than others,” Blaise said casually. “I didn’t think he’d believe me if I said you were my friend, so I lied and said scornfully that I thought you must be a weak wizard, to experience their effects so powerfully. Lupin fell for it, of course – you Gryffindors are so easy to provoke! He denied strongly that you were weak. According to him, it’s because you’ve been through a lot more bad things in your life than others, so the Dementors have more traumatic events to work with.” 

“Thanks Blaise, I’m glad you told me. I’ll go and see Professor Lupin tomorrow and make him teach me that charm.” 

Blaise nodded. “Don’t take no for an answer.” 

“Oh, I won’t. What happened after that?” 

“Nothing - I had the information that I needed, so I left.” 

“And he let you?” Harry said, frowning. “I mean, you told him that you were concerned about a friend being affected by Dementors. Didn’t he offer to see your friend and talk to them?” 

Blaise shrugged gracefully. “No. As I said, Professor Lupin is a Gryffindor.” 

“That’s no excuse! He should be treating everyone the same. I mean, he’s the Defence Professor. He should teach the Patronus Charm to anyone who wants to learn it.” 

“I like your ideas Harry, but Professor Snape isn’t the only teacher who struggles with House loyalties in the classroom,” Theo told him. 

“I suppose not,” Harry said. He didn’t feel pleased with Professor Lupin for not trying to assist Blaise though. “Oh by the way, there’s something that I’d like your advice on, both of you. Not now, but in the next day or two; I’ll want Ron and Hermione there too, and maybe a few others. I’d like to talk to you about Sirius Black.” 

“Well, it’s about time!” Blaise exclaimed. 

“We’ve been wondering when you were going to touch on the fact that a deranged mass murderer who badly wants to kill you managed to get into the school recently,” Theo clarified, as he noticed Harry’s surprised look. “I mean, people generally do talk about that sort of thing.” 

Harry smiled. “I suppose I’ve been a bit slow to react. Time to make up for that, don’t you think?” 

“As long as you’re not planning anything reckless,” Blaise agreed. “But then if you were, you wouldn’t want us involved.” 

“True. And I’ve already promised Hermione that I won’t try and find Black, so don’t worry. Nothing reckless, no heroics, just a bit of conversation. Tuesday at seven in the study group meeting room suit you?” 

“We’ll be there,” Theo said. 

“We have to go to dinner now,” Blaise said. “One more thing before we do… whatever Malfoy says to you, he’s as scared of the Dementors as you are. I know that because every Slytherin is scared of them.” 

“Really?” 

“Really. A lot of Slytherins have, or used to have, relatives in Azkaban – or if they don’t, like Theo and I, then our friends have, or other classmates. Don’t you think we’ve imagined what it’s like for the prisoners there? We have, many times – and that makes it a lot harder to see the Dementors hanging about right outside the school.” 

Harry nodded understandingly. “Fair enough. I won’t let it get to me when Malfoy starts going. Thanks, guys.” 

“We’ll message you later, if you’re still awake,” Theo said as they left. “Ty to get some rest though.” 

“Yes, Madam Theo,” Harry said flippantly. The Slytherins grinned and headed out. 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

Harry was pleased to be discharged from the Hospital Wing the next morning and allowed to go back to school. Malfoy immediately started doing impressions of his collapse at the quidditch match and how he fell off his broom. The other Slytherins (not including Blaise and Theo) seemed to find this hilarious. Harry didn’t like it at all, but he’d been studying anger management for most of the term and he’d got used to having the upper hand in most of his clashes with Malfoy. He didn’t intend to let things regress to how they were before; he didn’t want Malfoy to have any power to hurt him. The polite and friendly approach had proved to be an effective weapon against Malfoy before, and he thought it was time to see if the same was still true. 

Harry had witnessed Malfoy’s increasingly exaggerated impression of him falling from his broomstick six or seven times by the end of the morning. The only upside was when he tried it during Potions class and Professor Snape took ten points off Slytherin as a result. It was the first time that a Slytherin had lost points in Potions since Snape’s change of approach to teaching, and Malfoy’s expression when it happened had been priceless. Ron was spoiling for a fight about the situation though, as was Neville, but Harry told them both that he would deal with Malfoy personally. He saw a perfect opportunity for this towards the end of lunch. Malfoy was acting out the scene yet again when the person sitting next to him got up to go and speak to another student. Harry stood up, walked over to the Slytherin table and sat down boldly next to Malfoy. 

“Hello, all!” he said cheerfully. “Just thought I’d drop by to say hi. Having a nice lunch?” 

“Get lost, Potter!” Malfoy snarled. “This is the Slytherin table!” The other Slytherins were staring and many looked angry, but Harry paid them no attention. 

“Oh, I do know that,” he said lightly. “But there’s no rule against people sitting at other House tables, except on feast nights. You can come and sit with us Gryffindors any time, if you want to. And so can the rest of you, of course!” he said, smiling pleasantly around. “You’re all welcome.” 

Malfoy was glancing down the table, and Harry realised he was looking to the older students for help with the situation. However, there was an animated discussion going on among the more senior Slytherins at that point and none of them seemed to have noticed Harry’s arrival. 

“You don’t belong at our table, Potter,” Millicent Bulstrode said, but there wasn’t any particular menace in her voice. Theo and Blaise were doing their best to not look amused while everyone else was just watching with ill-concealed eagerness to see what would happen next. 

“That’s very true, but I just thought that since Mr. Malfoy here is so interested in my unfortunate quidditch accident the other day that I’d come over and help out with the re-enactment. I was there, after all; I could probably impersonate myself quite well!” 

“Push off,” Malfoy said, his face reddening with anger. Harry felt a surge of excitement at seeing him start to lose his temper. 

“But why, Draco dear? Isn’t this just meant to be fun? I know you wouldn’t deliberately taunt me for getting badly injured because that would be really mean and nasty. I could do the commentary, how about that? You know, like Lee Jordan does: _And there’s Potter, flying full speed towards the snitch with Diggory tearing towards it as well. It’s neck and neck, too close to call though obviously I’m hoping it’ll be Potter who gets it because I’m a totally biased Gryffindor so there you are... JORDAN! Yes, sorry Professor, the excitement was just getting to me there! But just a minute, why are all those Dementor things on the pitch? Potter’s stopped, he seems to have noticed them and clearly doesn’t like them much. Can’t say I blame him, I’ve seen better looking creatures on the underside of a rock…_ Come on Draco, you’re meant to be doing the actions! _”_

Malfoy jumped up and drew his wand. “I’ll get you back for this, Potter!” he shouted. This caught the attention of the Slytherin prefects and one of them walked quickly over. 

“What’s going on here? Malfoy, lower your wand. Potter, you’re not meant to be at our table.” 

“Sorry,” Harry said insincerely. He stood up. “I’ll go now. I just wanted to talk to Mr. Malfoy about something. Apologies for disturbing your lunch.” He strolled away, a smile of triumph on his face. Somehow he suspected that Malfoy would think twice before publicly making fun of him about the Dementor incident in future. 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

Harry was asked by Professor Lupin to wait behind after Defence class that day, which suited him very well. “I thought we should have a talk about the quidditch match, Harry,” Lupin said to him once the other students had left. “Your accident was due to the effects of the Dementors, I take it?” 

“I’m not weak,” Harry replied, ignoring the question and going straight to what he thought was the important thing to say. “You seem to think that I am, but you’re wrong. I could have faced the boggart as well that time, if you’d given me the chance.” 

Professor Lupin sighed. He looked tired. “I know that you are not weak, Harry. In fact, you are very far from it. I didn’t let you face the boggart because I didn’t think it would be a good idea for Lord Voldemort to appear in a classroom full of children.” 

Harry blinked with surprise, not having expected this answer at all. “It wouldn’t have been him,” he said eventually. “It would have been a Dementor. That’s why I would like you to teach me the Patronus Charm, please sir. I’d like to start learning it right away.” 

Lupin glanced at him. “Your conversational style is quite jumpy today,” he remarked. “Well, I see that you’ve done your research about anti-Dementor spells. Or more likely, Miss Granger has done.” 

“Will you be able to teach me, Professor? I need to be able to fight back against those monsters.” 

“Nobody can ‘fight back’ against a dementor,” Lupin replied sharply. “The Patronus Charm can repel them, that’s all. It is, however, extremely advanced magic and you would find it very difficult to learn it.” 

“I’m motivated to learn, and that’s half the battle. Please Professor, this is very important to me.” 

Professor Lupin frowned. “That much is obvious. It might interest you to know that Professor Snape also thinks that you should study this charm.” 

“I’m glad to hear it,” Harry replied calmly. “I know he’s very interested in Defence Against the Dark Arts and knows a lot about it.” 

“Yes, I expect so. Well, I will attempt to teach you the Patronus charm but it can’t be until next term, I’m afraid. I’m very busy at the moment. I was off sick recently, and I need to catch up with quite a few things.” 

This didn’t seem very reassuring to Harry. “Thank you for the offer sir, but next term is two months away. I really don’t want to wait that long to start learning the Patronus Charm.” 

“Well, I won’t have any time to teach you before then,” Lupin replied frostily. “Perhaps you might want to look for a different tutor. If you are unable to find one then my offer stands for next term.” 

“But what about if other people also want to learn it? I don’t suppose I’m the only one who needs to know about protective spells to combat Dementors. Maybe you could hold a class for everyone who’d be interested from _all_ of the Houses.” 

“You’re very persistent about this,” Lupin said. Harry could hear the note of disapproval in his voice. 

“That’s because I think it’s important. What if other Gryffindor students need help too? Or students in Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff maybe, or… Slytherin.” He looked closely at Lupin, hoping this might provoke a reaction from him, but there was nothing. Harry had always liked Professor Lupin but the more he thought about it, the less happy he was about his treatment of Blaise. 

“Yes, I do know the names of the other Houses, thank you Harry.” 

“Well then, there could be people there who are almost as badly affected by the Dementors as I am. I don’t think you should be assuming that I’m the only one who needs training on this when that probably isn’t the case. What if someone else asks you about Dementors like I am now?” 

“I will cross that bridge when I come to it, and not before. Now, I have a great deal of work to do Harry, so if you don’t mind, I suggest we leave it there.” 

Harry’s expression darkened as he recognised the implicit lie in Lupin’s words. “You are the Defence Professor, aren’t you? Then why won’t you help me and the other students defend themselves? Isn’t that your job?” 

“Ten points from Gryffindor for speaking disrespectfully to a Professor,” Lupin said, looking at him unfavourably. 

“You can take points all you like but it’s still true,” Harry replied angrily. “If you don’t have the capacity to teach the Patronus Charm then I suppose that’s understandable, I realise that you might be busy, but then the Headmaster should arrange for someone else to do it – an auror, maybe. To be honest, I don’t think it should be my responsibility to find my own tutor. I also think that training in the Patronus Charm should be offered to all students and not just me.” 

“I think I’ve heard quite enough of what you think for one day,” Lupin replied sarcastically. “I will however discuss your suggestion with the Headmaster. You may go.” 

“Yes Professor,” Harry replied quietly, and left the room. He was annoyed at the points loss but knew that he’d been rude and deserved it. He still wasn’t willing to wait for two months to start learning the Patronus though – if Lupin wouldn’t teach the students and the Headmaster didn’t intervene then he’d sort something out himself. 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

At dinner on Monday, the Headmaster announced that as part of the Teaching Charter amendments to Potions lessons that Professor Snape would be allowing students who had achieved an Exceeds Expectations grade in their Potions OWL to study Potions at NEWT level from now on. A number of older students looked visibly excited at this news. Sixth-year students were also offered the chance of joining NEWT Potions classes, if they were willing to take extra lessons to make up for those that they’d missed since the start of term. 

“I don’t suppose that’ll make much difference to me,” Ron remarked. “I’ll probably just get an Acceptable OWL for Potions. Either of you going to take NEWT Potions?” 

“Well of course,” Hermione said, looking surprised that he might ask, “though I am hoping to get an Outstanding OWL, but you never know… what about you, Harry?” 

“Not sure,” Harry replied. His NEWT choices seemed much too far off to care about. “It’s good that the requirement’s been dropped though.” 

“Snape’s really trying to make changes with the Charter, isn’t he?” Ron said. “I never thought he would, or could for that matter.” 

“I’m just keen to see the back of Binns,” Harry said. “History of Magic classes seem twice as awful as usual, now that we know he’s going but not yet gone.” 

“We’ve only got to put up with him for a few weeks,” Ron said. “By the way, did you see the article in the Prophet about Rudolph Stanslake joining the Cannons next month? He’s a good player, you know? He could be just what we need to get back on top!” 

Fine minutes later, Ron was mid-way through analysing the Chudley Cannons’ chances of making it to at least the middle of the league before the end of the season when he broke off what he was saying and stared at the door. Harry turned his head and saw that Randolf Burrow and Felix Brunt had just come into the Great Hall, looking desperate. They were each wearing what Harry instantly recognised as a Mrs. Weasley Christmas jumper – but instead of the letters F and G on the front, each jumper now had the word BULLY written across them in huge yellow letters. Just to make the point even clearer, there was a massive floating sign above each of their heads which said “I AM A SICK, NASTY, TWISTED BULLY!”, with a helpful arrow pointing from the sign downwards. Harry started to laugh, as did most people - even the other Ravenclaws seemed to find it pretty amusing. There was some kind of tune playing, though the words were too quiet to hear. 

“It won’t stop!” Burrow cried. “Somebody do something!” 

“Not a problem!” Fred shouted. He aimed his wand at them and muttered a spell, amplifying the sound and making the song – which was clearly being sung by the twins – loud enough for everyone to hear. 

_We’re a couple of bullies, we pick on younger kids,_

_We’re nasty and unpleasant, we deserve to be put in a bin,_

_We hurt other students and cause them pain, just because we like toooooo…_

_But we’re going to put it right, or this song will never stop!_

__

_We’re a couple of bullies, we pick on younger kids—_

__

“Yes, that’s quite enough of that,” Dumbledore said. Along with Professor Flitwick and Professor McGonagall, he had already made his way to Burrow and Blunt. He drew his wand and murmured a spell, but the song kept singing and the signs above the Ravenclaws’ heads started raining on them. 

“Please be careful, Sir!” Blunt yelled. “We tried to stop it a few times and it just got worse! There were hailstones before, and snow as well - I almost got struck by lightning at one point!” 

“We had to make a list,” Burrow said, looking humiliated. “A list of everyone we’ve ever bullied and exactly what we did to them. The spell wouldn’t let us go until we wrote it and agreed to bring it to you, Headmaster. We’ve can’t take these jumpers off and we’ve been trapped in an old classroom for hours with this thing, and it’s sung that song the whole time!” He handed the list over to Dumbledore with a trembling hand; Harry noticed that it was a very long one. 

Dumbledore turned to look at Fred and George, who were laughing as much as everyone else. He beckoned them over, looking rather grim. 

“Can we do something for you, Headmaster?” George asked with a grin 

“Yes Mr. Weasley, you can deactivate this spell,” Dumbledore said firmly. 

“It’s a shame to ruin a work of genius but I will if you insist, Sir,” he replied, looking regretful but not surprised. With a quick stroke of George’s wand, the jumpers, the song and the floating signs all vanished. Quite a few of the students booed, though the two Ravenclaws looked deeply relieved. 

“They had it coming,” Fred said to the Headmaster with complete calm. “I know you’ll punish us but we’ve still got no regrets.” 

“I think we should move this discussion to my office,” Dumbledore said. “Come along, all of you.” 

The three Professors and four students walked out of the room, the twins making a deep bow to the clapping students as they did so. Harry glanced over at Blaise who smiled back at him with great satisfaction. 

“As long as we don’t lose too many points, otherwise that was a triumph,” Ron said. “But don’t tell them I said that, or they’ll make fun of me for months…” 

Fred and George returned to the common room later that evening and were given a rapturous welcome by the other Gryffindors. 

“You did really well. How did it go in Dumbledore’s office?” Harry asked when they finally made their way over to him. 

“Twenty points lost each and a fortnight’s detention, starting next week,” George told him cheerfully. “Could have been a lot worse. Dumbledore said we deserved a lot worse as it happens, but he didn’t want to take all of the Gryffindors’ Charter points away. Personally I think he was laughing on the inside.” 

“And what about Burrow and Blunt?” 

“Suspended until the end of term,” Fred said with great satisfaction. “A hundred points each from Ravenclaw too, and if they bully one more person when they come back then they’re getting expelled right away. Good result, yes?” 

“Really good,” Harry agreed. “Thanks very much. Sorry about the detentions.” 

“Not a problem, Harry. It was worth it,” George said. “And you know what? Two different firsties stopped us on the way back here to thank us for sorting those idiots out. Didn’t we tell you there were others?” 

“You did. I’m sorry that you were so right. I suppose I’m lucky that they didn’t pick on me when it was my first year.” 

“You were too visible,” Fred told him. “Boy who lived, and all that. There were probably easier targets.” 

“Like me,” Neville said, looking self-conscious. “I never mentioned it at the time, but… yeah.” 

“Really? In that case, I’m sorry they didn’t get expelled,” Harry said furiously. “I wish you’d said something, Neville. We could have helped.” 

Neville shrugged defensively. “I just thought it would get worse if I did. I was able to keep out of their way most of the time.” 

Harry glanced over at the twins. “So, Dumbledore said that when Blunt and Burrow come back, they only have to pick on one more student and they’re gone for good?” 

“That’s right. Are you thinking what I’m thinking, dear Harry?” Fred said with an excited grin. “We set them up?” 

“No,” Harry replied firmly. “No, I wouldn’t be happy with that. Dumbledore’s chosen to give them a second chance, so that’s what they get – but not a third chance. We’ll have to watch them as much as we can. Try and catch them, if they do mess up.” 

“That’s the best way,” Neville agreed. “It won’t be easy though, keeping track of them in such a big place as Hogwarts.” 

“Oh, I don’t know,” George said lightly, “Fred and I are quite good at that sort of thing.” 

Ron glanced at his brothers. “I bet they’ll be expelled by Easter,” he said. The twins merely smiled knowingly. 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

Harry’s new quest meeting went ahead the next day. He’d put some considerable thought into who should be included. Ron and Hermione were there of course, as well as Blaise and Theo. He also invited Fred, George, Percy and Neville. Some of them had skills that might be useful – the twins were creative and great inventors, while Hermione and Percy both had extensive knowledge of most magical subjects. Ron was proving himself a good leader with the Danger Club and Blaise and Theo had cunning, and the ability to work through a situation logically. Neville had none of these qualities, but he was loyal and Harry valued his opinion. Most importantly by far, he trusted them all. 

“So, thanks very much for meeting up,” he said. “Let’s talk about Sirius Black. I want to do something about him – in a safe way, of course.” 

“I hope you mean that, Harry. Safety and Sirius Black don’t exactly go together,” Percy commented. 

“True, but talking about the situation can’t do any harm,” Harry pointed out. “I’d like to come up with a plan that we can take to Dumbledore, then he can put it to the Ministry.” 

“Why now?” Fred asked. “Is it because Black got into Hogwarts?” 

“Yes. I under-estimated him. I felt safe here, like he was hundreds of miles away and couldn’t do me or everyone else any harm. Well, he could have. He still might.” 

“We won’t let him,” Neville replied fiercely. 

“Thanks Neville, I appreciate that. The thing is, though – I’m not okay with just waiting for him to be caught. So what can we do about it? Any thoughts?” 

“Perhaps we ought to start with thinking about what we know,” Blaise said. “Black escaped from a highly secure prison and has somehow managed to stay free for months, then he got through all of the school’s defences and attempted to break into the Gryffindor common room while we were at the Halloween feast. Then after that, he escaped from the school without being detected. What does all of that tell us?” 

“That he’s a maniac,” Ron replied with disdain. “Yeah, let’s state the obvious, shall we?” 

“Ron,” Harry said warningly before anyone could reply, “I’ve learned this term that Blaise is really good at working stuff out. Maybe we should listen to him, okay?” 

“Fine,” Ron replied in a grudging voice, his face red. “Sorry, Zabini.” The twins grinned at his obvious discomfort. 

“Apology accepted,” Blaise replied, throwing a quick smile in Harry’s direction. 

“Maniac or not, he can’t be insane,” Percy said. “Because insane people can’t plan things and work out ways to overcome obstacles as he’s done – at least, I don’t think they can.” 

“I agree,” Blaise said. “I believe he is probably a maniac – which as I understand it, is someone with wild and violent behaviour. However, he’s also shown himself to be very resourceful right from the start. Therefore, we’re dealing with someone who can reason – and possibly someone who could be reasoned _with_.” 

“But if he’s that obsessed then how could we talk him out of trying to hurt Harry?” Hermione asked. “Maniacs aren’t reasonable people, and nor are Death Eaters.” 

“Let’s think more about what else we can learn from events so far before worrying about that,” Fred said. “There’s been a lot of talk around school about why he picked Halloween to attack, when we were all in the Great Hall for the feast. Some people say he didn’t know the date, that he’d got mixed up with being on the run, but if he’s that clever…” 

Harry looked at him thoughtfully. “Even clever people make mistakes though, Fred. Look, let’s think about it both ways. Suppose he did mix the date up, and he thought it was a normal evening – in which case it’s a bit of a stupid time to try and break in to the common room. There’d have been lots of people around to fight him, and he couldn’t even have been sure that I was there at the time. That doesn’t make sense.” 

“Yeah, the chances of him getting to you before people stopped him would be low,” George agreed. “The best time to sneak in would be the middle of the night. He lost the advantage of surprise when he attacked the Fat Lady’s picture. He must know it’ll be much harder to attack a second time. It was pretty stupid, if you think about it.” 

“So what if he didn’t mix the date up?” Neville said. “I think that’s what really happened. His plan was to sneak into the common room while we were all away, then hide somewhere until night-time and strike at Harry when nobody was awake to stop him. That could have worked.” 

“Yeah, and maybe he’d have sneaked in and sat down on Harry’s bed while nobody was looking,” Ron said pointedly. “How creepy would that have been, eh?” 

“We have apologised,” George said with a grin. “Forgiveness is a virtue, Ronniekins.” 

Theo rolled his eyes. “Yes well, leaving aside that dose of Gryffindor in-fighting, what Neville said is much the more likely option – and again, that proves that we’re dealing with someone who’s still able to think properly and hasn’t lost his mind.” 

“Even so, I don’t see that it gets us any further,” Ron said. 

“What about how he got into the school in the first place?” Blaise said. “I think that’s very significant.” 

“Professor McGonagall told me that it was probably through the school’s secret passages, and that they were all being reinforced as a result,” Harry said. 

The twins looked disappointed. “Oh really? That’s not what I’d call cheerful news,” George said. “Those passages are a mischief-maker’s best friend. Still, I suppose your safety has to come first, Harry.” 

“Thanks for that,” he said with a smile. 

Blaise and Theo glanced at each other. “There is another implication,” Blaise said carefully. “I take it that you heard about Professor Snape not wanting Professor Lupin to get involved with the work on improving the school’s security protections?” 

“Yes, that’s common knowledge,” Percy replied. “What of it?” 

“The general view in the Slytherin common room is that Black was able to get past the Hogwarts defences because he has someone helping him on the inside,” Theo said meaningfully. The Gryffindors stared for a moment while taking this idea in, and then several of them started to talk at once. 

“He wouldn’t!” 

“Professor Lupin’s really nice, I won’t believe it!” 

“That is a completely STUPID idea!” 

“You’re only saying that because he’s a Gryffindor!” 

“Snape’s hated Lupin from day one, you can’t put any stock in his view of things!” 

“Will you all _calm down_!” Harry said. “I don’t think we should just dismiss the idea of an accomplice. After all, how did the troll get in two years ago? How did the basilisk get loose last year? People made those things happen. But yes, it’s true that Snape hates Lupin – so if Black has got an ally in the school, it could be someone else.” 

“Do you two really think Lupin and Black are working together?” Ron asked Blaise and Theo. 

Blaise shrugged. “There’s no direct evidence to suggest it, but I went and looked Lupin up in the Hogwarts yearbooks. He and James Potter and Sirius Black were all Gryffindors in the same year as each other at school. I found that fact rather interesting.” 

Harry stared. “Lupin must have known my father really well then. He’s never said! And he’s never mentioned Black, either.” 

“Is it a coincidence that a man who was at school with Sirius Black has been brought in to teach Defence this year?” Theo asked. “I very much doubt it. I think the Headmaster employed him because his knowledge of Black might be useful to protect us. He could be a traitor, but personally I don’t think he’s got enough force of character for that.” 

“It got a bit difficult when I asked him for lessons in the Patronus Charm yesterday,” Harry said, “but I don’t think he’s a traitor either. He might have secrets of some kind, but that’s not the same thing.” 

“Somebody should question Professor Lupin,” Hermione said, “though they shouldn’t go alone. Perhaps a few of us could speak to him together.” 

“Can’t risk it,” George said decidedly. “If he is hand in glove with Black then he’d know his cover was blown and attack us right away. No, let’s just agree to be careful around him – and Harry, don’t go to those Patronus lessons on your own if he agrees to them, okay?” 

“Okay.” 

“As far as I can see, there are no grounds to accuse Professor Lupin of anything,” Percy said firmly. “He’s a member of staff, which means he has access to all areas of the school in case of emergency. If he was on Black’s side, he could simply have told him what the password to our common room was.” 

“That does seem to rule him out,” Blaise agreed. “Are there any other likely suspects? I can’t think of any.” 

“What about other Slytherins?” Ron asked, looking embarrassed. “I mean, is there anyone who might…” 

“Want to help out a follower of the Dark Lord?” Theo said coolly. “Maybe, but if so they haven’t made themselves known to us. We don’t have any more information on this than the rest of the school.” 

“No, I didn’t think you would have,” Harry said quickly. “I can’t see any way of telling who might be helping Black out. I can’t think of anyone who’s acting suspiciously or anything.” 

“Nor can I,” Percy said. “I think we’ve gone over the main facts about Black, and trying to find his accomplices if he has any would be dangerous and should not be pursued. Is everyone clear on that point?” They all nodded, somewhat reluctantly. 

“That doesn’t stop us from working out who Black’s ally might be and telling one of the Professors,” Neville said stubbornly. “We should try that.” 

“But how?” Hermione said. “If Black does have a helper within the school, I can’t think of any way to unmask them.” 

“Interesting choice of words…” Theo said quietly. 

“Let’s go back to the logical approach,” George said. “Start with the teachers. Apart from Lupin, have any of them done anything this term that might make us suspect them? Take a minute to think about it.” 

They did so. Harry was hampered a bit by not taking classes with several of the Professors but he thought about those that he knew. They seemed exactly as usual. “There’s nothing,” he said after a couple of minutes, and the others agreed. 

“So, the other students then,” George said. “Could he have got to any of them? If so, they might not have been helping him willingly.” 

“Was there anyone not in the Great Hall during the Halloween feast?” Fred asked. 

“Not that I can recall,” Percy said. “In any case, someone working with Black could have let him in just before the feast. Unless any of you can think of someone who we might need to investigate further then I suggest we move on.” 

“Fair enough,” Ron said reluctantly. “So let’s just agree that if at any point we think there might be someone on Black’s side then we tell a Professor.” 

“And tell me,” Percy replied firmly. “Now, you want to stop him, Harry. Any ideas as to how?” 

“I’ve got sort of half an idea, but I’d like to hear what you guys think first.” 

“The problem is, they’re probably trying all sorts of plans already at the Ministry,” Ron pointed out. “You could come up with what you think is the best scheme ever and they might just tell you that they tried it two months ago and it failed completely.” 

“It’s a pity we can’t just send you somewhere far away and remove you from the scene of peril,” Blaise said with a smile. 

“Yes, isn’t it?” Harry grinned. “That has given me an idea, though. Not about Black, something else. Never mind. And well… don’t say anything to anyone please, but I might have got hold of a bit of inside information on what the Ministry’s doing to look for Black.” 

“Ahhh….” Theo said softly. “Advance preparation?” 

“Yes. I have to keep it a secret though – I can’t say what they told me as I might get the person in trouble.” 

Blaise nodded. “In that case, how about we come up with suggestions and you can decide whether you think they’re sensible or not sensible. If you should happen to base that decision on information received from other sources then we’re not to know, are we?” 

“Good idea,” Harry said. “Okay, let’s get started.” 

“We could find out who all of Black’s friends were at school and get in touch with them to see if they know anything,” Ron suggested. 

“Not sensible.” 

“What, really? Well, I’m out of ideas then.” 

“Getting all of the portraits to look for him?” Neville said. 

“I can answer that one,” Blaise said. “It’s already happening as one of the changes from the security review. The ghosts are also all on night patrol each evening. They can’t fight Black but also he can’t do them any harm, and they can all sound the alarm if they see him. I assume that it wouldn’t be sensible to write to our relatives and ask them to look for signs of life at the Black ancestral home?” 

“Definitely not,” Harry said. 

Blaise sighed. “Thought as much. How do you feel about being tied to a tree in the Forbidden Forest as bait with a big sign next to you saying ‘Hey Black, here’s your early Christmas present’?” Ron and Percy looked rather offended but everyone else laughed. 

“Sorry, that’s a not sensible as well,” Harry said with a grin. 

“Quite right!” Percy replied. “Personally, I can’t think of anything. The muggles all know, don’t they?” 

“Yes, Black’s escape was highly publicised,” Hermione confirmed. “We can’t do anything more there. I don’t suppose tracking spells would be of use? Or maybe, if we sent him an owl and then followed behind it on a broomstick?” 

“Erm… I don’t know for sure,” Harry said. “I’ve kind of assumed it can’t be that easy, though.” 

“It’s not,” Theo advised him. “They’ll already have tried it of course, just on the off-chance, but there are plenty of spells that can be used to make a person’s location unplottable.” 

“Fred and I could maybe think about laying some traps around the school,” George said. “Trouble is, it’ll be hard to make sure they work on Black and nobody else. Hmm, have to think about that one.” 

“Increase the number of Auror patrols in key wizarding locations?” Neville offered. 

“Not sensible.” 

“What about setting up the magical equivalent of neighbourhood watch?” Hermione asked. “We have that where I live – it’s a group of muggles who take it in turns to keep an eye on their home area looking for trouble, then they report anything they find to the authorities. People could keep a watch in Hogsmeade.” 

“Sorry, also not sensible.” 

“The Ministry seem to have thought of everything,” Ron said in a disgruntled voice. “Mind you, there aren’t any Aurors in the school. If they were here to keep an eye on things, that could be a help.” 

Harry hesitated. “Sensible, but… can’t be done.” 

Ron looked confused. “Is that a yes or a no?” 

“What Harry’s basically not telling you is that he likes the idea, the Ministry likes the idea, the Aurors like the idea, but the Headmaster doesn’t,” Blaise said with amusement. 

“Oh, right. Well, you’d better tell us your own suggestion mate, because I don’t think the rest of us have got anything.” 

Harry nodded. “So, like I said it’s only half an idea really. I was hoping you all could help me improve it. I’ve sort of touched on what Hermione mentioned before about sending Black an owl, but with a twist. The way I see it, if you’re so completely obsessed with someone that you want to kill them and then they write to you out of the blue, you’re going to want to read what the letter says, right? I mean, you’d be curious about what your planned victim wanted to say to you, don’t you think?” 

“Yes, but if he’s cast spells to make his location unplottable then it’s likely that a letter wouldn’t even reach him,” Percy said. 

“Normally yeah, but I was thinking… when I was in the Chamber of Secrets last year, the Headmaster’s phoenix Fawkes made it down there to me. So if Fawkes can do that, could he also maybe lead an owl to where Black is?” 

“That’s not a bad idea at all,” Hermione said appreciatively. “Well, supposing he can – what next?” 

“I want the letter to be spelled so that it’s a trap, but not just one trap – as many as we can manage. Multiple layers of spells, maybe. Black’s going to be suspicious but if we’re good at this, he’ll spot some of the traps but not all of them. In fact, we could make a few of them pretty obvious so that he doesn’t catch on to the less obvious ones.” 

“Now you’re talking,” Fred said, his eyes lighting up. “This we can work with. But what will the letter say?” 

“I want to ask him why,” Harry said. “Wouldn’t you want to know, if you were me?” Fred nodded. 

“So basically, send him a completely booby-trapped letter and see if he takes the bait?” George said. “Yeah, could work – but the Professors are going to insist on all your incoming mail being checked for curses if we try this. What you can do, Black can too.” 

“That’s alright, I don’t get much mail at school anyway,” Harry said. “Do you think we can come up with a list of spells to use as traps, then?” 

“Oh yes,” Blaise said, smiling maliciously. “I think we’re just the people you need for that little job.” 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

Late that evening, Harry wrote a couple of letters which he planned to send out first thing the following morning. One was to the Headmaster, asking for an interview about Black. He stated in the letter that he would be bringing eight other students with him and that it would be useful if Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall could also be present. He suspected this would be more than enough to make the Headmaster curious, and an interview would be swiftly arranged. 

Then he turned to the second letter, which was to someone he had thought of contacting because of Blaise’s comment during the quest meeting. 

_To – Charlie Weasley, Romania_

_From – Harry Potter, Hogwarts_

__

_Dear Mr. Weasley,_

__

_You don’t know me but I’m in your brother Ron’s year at Hogwarts and he’s one of my best friends, so I hope you won’t mind that I’ve got in touch with you directly to ask for some advice. I could have asked Ron to write to you but I didn’t want to raise his hopes up if you can’t help out. I don’t know how much Ron has told you about current events but he’s trying to help Hagrid sort out a problem. Hagrid’s been teaching Care of Magical Creatures this year and there was an accident in a lesson when a hippogriff called Buckbeak struck one of the Slytherin students (Draco Malfoy) and injured his arm. It wasn’t a bad injury but Malfoy’s played it up, and Malfoy’s father has asked the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures to consider having Buckbeak destroyed. I know that you work with dragons and not hippogriffs, but I expect you can still understand how upset Hagrid is about the idea of that._

__

_There’s going to be a Committee hearing in a few weeks about it and I was thinking, is there anywhere that the hippogriff could be sent where they’d be safe and couldn’t be considered to be a danger to people? A hippogriff sanctuary, maybe? Do you know anywhere like that? Maybe then the committee might be willing to send Buckbeak there rather than execute him._

__

_Thanks for any help you can provide,_

__

_Harry Potter_

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

As Harry was finishing off his letter to Charlie Weasley, Severus Snape arrived in the Slytherin Tower for a discussion with the portrait of Salazar Slytherin. 

It was a lengthy conversation, as he needed to bring Slytherin up to date with all of the happenings over the last two weeks. Severus found that this took much longer than it normally would; Salazar kept interrupting him to ask how he felt about something, or why he’d made a particular decision and not selected a different option. He didn’t protest as he suspected that this was part of the portrait’s way of learning about the changes in his character since the _Volens Melius_ spell had been cast, though he was reticent in talking about emotional matters and evaded the more personal questions. 

“You’ve certainly had a busy fortnight,” Slytherin remarked when he’d finally heard the last of the update. “It was a sensible approach to take charge of the security assessment yourself, even if you did have to include Lupin.” 

“The Headmaster left me no option with Lupin,” he replied. “We were just outside the Great Hall and surrounded by students when he stopped me and said that surely I’d be including Professor Lupin in my review group, after all he is the Defence Professor… I couldn’t say no. Even with the _Volen Melius_ in place, I still don’t trust the man. Still, I did manage to limit the damage of his involvement.” 

“Oh, how?” 

He smiled slightly. “I essentially ran two reviews of the Hogwarts defences; one included Lupin and a parallel, secret one did not. He therefore knows about some of the security enhancements but not all of them, by any means.” 

“Excellent notion,” Slytherin said admiringly. “Does Dumbledore know?” 

“Yes. He wasn’t happy about it but by the time he found out, it was already completed. The Headmaster did eventually concede that there was nothing wrong in principle with having multiple layers of protective magic in place.” 

“Good. Now, this business with the Charter is resolved fully, I assume?” 

“I suppose so, yes. I’ve already started making changes to how I teach and deal with students; there didn’t seem to be any point in waiting until next term.” 

“Indeed. How are the lessons going?” 

“Oh, fine,” Snape said flatly. “No problems there.” 

Slytherin looked across at him with an intent gaze. “And the Slytherins?” 

“They’re fine also.” 

“So what are your main concerns at the moment, aside from the unresolved issue with Black?” 

“Mr. Potter’s vulnerability to the Dementors is a concern. If they should happen to get near him again… I have put pressure on Lupin to teach him the Patronus Charm but the man seemed reluctant. I think he is avoiding any close contact with Potter. Minerva told me a while back that the boy has no idea that Lupin was his father’s close friend.” 

“Unusual behaviour that, is it not?” 

“For someone so week and spineless? Hardly,” he scoffed. “Why Lupin was sorted into Gryffindor, I cannot imagine; he has less courage than a baby mouse.” 

“It’s good to hear you talk so,” Slytherin said with a teasing smile. “I was rather worried that _Volens Melius_ might have taken away your ability to hold completely prejudiced and irrational opinions.” 

Severus looked mockingly back at him. “It’s not quite _that_ bad.” 

“And yet, I cannot take the measure of your character. You are different, but still the same person. How can someone be both?” 

“I’m still adapting,” Severus said heavily. “Don’t try to understand me when I can barely understand myself.” 

“Can’t you explain any further?” 

“There used to be beliefs which were certain and undisputed truths of my life – but now, I start to question them. Let this be for a while, Salazar. I don’t want to go into it more deeply with you now.” 

“And if I was to ask why not? After all, you have always been open and candid with me before.” 

Severus sighed. While that was true, he really didn’t want to be open and candid at the moment. “You know, much as I respect your knowledge and wisdom… you are not real, Salazar.” 

“Then go to someone who is!” Slytherin exclaimed. “You need a person to confide in, Severus. Do you think I can’t sense how empty you are? How lonely?” 

“I can’t tell anyone about this,” he said. 

“Yes you can, providing they can be trusted to keep your secrets. There are only three possible choices – Flitwick, Dumbledore or McGonagall. Pick one.” 

Severus considered this. Unpleasant as it might be to admit it, he did feel particularly alone right now and perhaps it would be good to talk. Albus was the natural, logical choice of course, but… 

“You’ve thought of someone,” Slytherin said. 

He nodded. “Filius.” 

“Hmm. Not who I expected you’d go with.” 

“He has been… considerate lately, in a number of ways. I have noticed it. I think he might have perceived how difficult things have been for me over the past few weeks. He invited me for afternoon tea on Saturday the other day. I said I might not be able to make it but perhaps I will reconsider.” 

“Promise me that you’ll go,” Slytherin said. 

“Very well, if it will calm you down...” 

“I am perfectly calm, Severus. I’m here to help, you know.” 

“I do know that. Don’t mind my manner, Salazar. I value your advice as much as I always have done.” 

Slytherin brushed this remark aside with a careless gesture. “Tell me one thing – do you regret making use of the _Volens Melius_ spell?” 

The instinctive thought which came to Severus’s mind was ‘yes’, but he did not say it. Deep down he knew that it was worthwhile to undergo the process of changing and reshaping himself, painful though it was proving to be in some ways. It was, after all, for a very good cause. “Ask me again in a month.” 

“I won’t forget,” Slytherin warned him. “We not real people have excellent memories, you know.” 

“I might just forget the way to this tower if you’re not careful,” Snape replied, but he smiled slightly to show that he wasn’t serious. 

“As if you could manage for any length of time without coming to see me for advice! Now go, you need to rest. I’ll be here whenever you’re ready to talk.” 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

Several days later, Harry and the rest of his quest group assembled for the meeting with The Headmaster and Professors Snape and McGonagall. 

“Are you two sure that you want to come in?” Harry asked Blaise and Theo. “You can stay out of it if you want to.” 

“We’re sure,” Theo said, and Blaise nodded his agreement. “Besides, if we don’t go then you Gryffindors will get all of the house points!” 

Harry rolled his eyes and turned to the gargoyles who were guarding the staircase. “Nut brittle,” he said. The gargoyles moved aside and they walked up to Dumbledore’s office. 

There was an immediate reaction from all three teachers when they saw that Harry had brought both Slytherins and Gryffindors with him. Dumbledore’s smile of welcome faded and was replaced by an expression that was close to dismay, while Professor McGonagall frowned in apparent disapproval and worst of all, Professor Snape was clearly starting to assemble the pieces of a previously undetected jigsaw puzzle together in his head. There were seats for all of them and as they made themselves comfortable, Harry looked across and nervously started to speak. 

“Erm, so thanks for agreeing to see us. We’ve been working on an idea which we wanted to share with you. Sirius Black needs to be captured, and we think we have identified a possible way of doing that.” 

“Indeed? That sounds most intriguing,” the Headmaster said. “Please do continue.” 

“Okay, so basically the idea is this – I’d like to write a letter to Sirius Black which is completely drenched with curses and traps of all kinds. It needs layers and layers of magic, some obvious - the sort that a third-year student might typically come up with - and some less so. It’s a trap within a trap within a trap. And Black will realise that, but even if he spots most of the spells and bypasses then, as long as one or two aren’t detected then maybe we can successfully attack him.” 

“You can’t be serious!” Professor McGonagall exclaimed. “The risks that such actions would bring…” 

“I’m very serious, Professor. The risks can be minimised, with your help that is. That’s why I asked for you and Professor Snape to be present.” 

“What is your plan to circumvent the fact that Black will have made his location unplottable?” Snape asked. 

Harry liked the way that Snape phrased the question. “Well, I don’t know if this will work, but Headmaster – when I was in the Chamber of Secrets last year, Fawkes knew to fly down to me, which I think no normal bird could have done. He’s really clever I know, so I was wondering if he might also be able to guide an owl to Black’s location? Fawkes couldn’t deliver the letter directly or Black would be suspicious, but if he could lead an owl to within visual sight of Black then it would be able to drop the letter off on its own.” 

“What a remarkable idea,” Dumbledore said appreciatively. “I hadn’t thought of anything like that.” He turned and reached out a hand to Fawkes, who flew to land on his shoulder. “Well my old friend, do you think you could overcome Black’s defences and take an owl to him?” 

Fawkes ruffled his feathers and made a rough sound; it sounded like something half way between a cough and a snort. Dumbledore nodded, as if he understood. “I see. And of course, I would not want you to put yourself in danger, though for the owl I fear that would be inevitable. But as a possibility, is it worth trying?” This time the phoenix hooted quietly. “Thank you, Fawkes.” 

“Does he think it will work, Sir?” Hermione asked eagerly. 

“Fawkes believes that the task will be extremely difficult, and it might need several attempts or more, but he is willing to try.” 

“Good job, Fawkes!” Fred said cheerfully. 

“I still think we should think this through very carefully,” Professor McGonagall said. “If Potter writes to Black then he could very easily play us at our own game and write back!” 

“We thought of that,” Percy said hastily. “Harry is willing to have all incoming mail diverted to be checked for dark curses before he receives it.” 

“A wise precaution,” Snape said. He looked at them all with something approaching approval. “It could work, and I can’t see that we lose much if it doesn’t. However, the Headmaster is quite correct; we would risk the owl’s life. You would not wish to use your own owl, or any other one which you are fond of, Mr. Potter.” 

Harry felt a bit uncomfortable. “We hadn’t thought of that. It’s a bit unfair though, I mean… my owl’s life isn’t worth more than any of the others. It doesn’t seem fair to maybe send one of the school owls to their death just because they’re not my pet.” 

A month ago, Snape would doubtless have mocked him and tried to embarrass him for what he’d said, but this new Snape – this startling enigma of a man – did not. “If we do this, then we will explain the situation to the owl. We will tell them what is being asked of them and give them the chance to refuse. I think you will find that they will choose to accept the task. The Hogwarts owls are very loyal to the school, and will not draw back from the danger if they understand the circumstances.” 

“Err, okay, thanks.” 

“Do you have the list?” Blaise said to Harry. 

“Oh yes, sure.” Harry pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it over to the Headmaster. “These are some ideas for spells which could be used. I’m sure you’ll know better ones but we thought maybe you might want to see what we could come up with.” 

“Thank you, Harry,” Dumbledore said. “Well, let me see what we have here…” He read the list while the two Professors peered at it over his shoulder. Snape looked keenly interested, while McGonagall seemed more worried as she read each suggestion. 

_Turn letter, owl and twine tying letter into portkeys to bring Black to secure location. Also apply multiple tracking charms to each._

_Send a second owl who can follow Fawkes and the owl with the letter, with tracking spells and Disillusionment Charm applied to it._

_Soak letter in mixture of wolfsbane, asphodel and moly (Longbottom family spell, see over the page); can be used as a virtually undetectable tracking spell._

_Create special ink using a mixture of scurvy-grass and lovage (Zabini family spell, see over the page): to cause confusion, apathy and permanent sleepiness._

_Conceal anti-gravity mist within letter to pull Black into the air and suspend him there when he opens it._

_Apply similar spells to those used as part of the monitoring of underage magic to the letter and the string around it, so that Black’s use of magic can be tracked._

_Embed an Anti-Disapparition jinx within the letter._

__

_Contain photo of Harry’s parents in letter. Use Entrancing Enchantments to make Black pick it up. Use stunning spell when he does so, or make into portkey._

__

_Transform the letter into magical chains to bind Black and stop him getting away._

“You have come up with this between you?” Snape asked, glancing at them in turn. 

“It was Harry’s idea initially, Sir,” Theo said. “Using Fawkes and writing to Black, I mean. We helped with the list.” Snape nodded thoughtfully, and Harry knew that he hadn’t missed Theo’s use of his first name. 

“We worked on it together,” Harry said, “all of us.” 

“The use of family magic could be an excellent idea,” Snape commented, with a nod of approval to Blaise and Neville. “Those would be spells which Black is unfamiliar with.” 

“And what about the letter itself?” The Headmaster asked. “Is it prepared?” 

“Well, I’ve drafted it,” Harry said. “If we use any special paper or ink then I’ll need to recopy it, though.” 

“I think it would be best if someone else actually wrote out the letter, while pretending to be yourself,” Snape said. “It’s important that Black does not get to see your own style of writing, that way he cannot use it to write a letter in your name.” 

“That’s fine,” Harry said immediately. He’d been hoping that Snape would give him an opportunity of this kind, since he thought the letter offered him the chance to work on both of his quests at the same time. He took a second piece of paper out of his bag and handed it to Snape. “Here it is. I don’t mind if you read it - in fact I really think you should, just to check that nothing in it looks bad to say.” 

Snape looked surprised. He did not open the letter until the Headmaster gave him a quick nod of assent. “Very well.” He studied it carefully and then handed it to Professor McGonagall who read it out loud. 

_From – Harry Potter_

_To – Sirius Black_

__

_I expect you’re surprised to be hearing from me. Bit of a sudden impulse on my part, to get in touch. I was trying to stay as far away from you as possible and wait for you to get recaptured, but then you broke into my school. That made me start to think about you a lot more and to be honest I got pretty angry. What right have you to come after me here, you pathetic excuse for a wizard?_

__

_See, what I really want to know is why? I mean, if you’re going to kill me then it’s only fair that I understand the reason for my own probably violent death. Why are you after me – but more importantly, why did you betray my parents to Voldemort? I know you were their secret keeper. They trusted you to keep them safe! I thought you were their friend, or was that just a fake friendship all along? I’ve been told that you and my father were best mates when you were at school, right from the start. Was that true, or did you get on the Hogwarts Express at age eleven already planning to be a loyal Death Eater and turn traitor when you grew up? I’d like to know because it’s my Mum and Dad that you helped to slaughter._

__

_I suppose the signs were there all along. You were a bully at school, attacking other students when you wanted to. You picked on Slytherins, you hurt them and you liked it. What kind of a monster were you, anyway? If I’d been at school with you then you’d probably have gone for me too. People like you deserve to be in Azkaban. Bullies are disgusting, and that’s what you are still – a bully, coming after me, a third-year student; a kid. Pick on someone your own size, why don’t you?_

__

_Don’t think I don’t know that my Dad bullied people as well, during his time at Hogwarts. I’m ashamed of that. I’m a fair bit different from him in some ways. I’ve recently made some friends in Slytherin, and I can honestly say that I’ve never bullied another person in my life. Pity you and my Dad can’t say the same. Mind you, I’m proud of him as well, for all that he achieved. I know he must have got his act together later on or Mum wouldn’t have given him the time of day. He died a hero, fighting a dark wizard to save his family. Have you ever heard of the word hero, or do I need to explain it to you?_

__

_So yeah, like I said – any chance of letting me know why you’re doing all this? I mean, if it’s because I bumped off Voldemort then in my own defence I have to say, he did hit me with the killing curse first and I’ve got no idea why it didn’t work. Doesn’t seem fair to blame me for your lord and master’s complete incompetence in murdering a toddler. And why would you be loyal to someone so pathetically weak in the first place?_

__

_Feel free to write back any time. I’ve asked the owl I sent to wait for an answer in case you don’t have an owl of your own._

__

_HP_

“You want Black to think that this letter is a product of hot, furious rage – a reckless, unplanned attack, done without telling anyone else, intended to provoke him, immature and irresponsible,” Snape said slowly, “whereas in reality it is nothing of the sort.” 

“That’s right,” Harry said simply. 

“Then I’d recommend some stronger language in a couple of the sections – perhaps some swearing. Someone who was very angry would probably use such words.” 

“That’s fine sir,” Harry said, trying not to grin, “the words can be changed however you think fit.” 

“Albus, surely this is too dangerous to contemplate?” Professor McGonagall said anxiously. 

“I concede that some danger is involved, but there are times when we must take risks. There are dangers everywhere in life, Minerva – all we can do is minimise them. Imagine if we don’t put this plan into action and Black makes his way inside the castle once more? That is another risk.” 

“I suppose you’re right,” she replied. “What about the Ministry, would they need to be involved?” 

“We could not tell the Ministry,” Dumbledore said. “That would be a risk too many, if you like. Should they be aware of this plan, they would almost certainly send Dementors to follow Fawkes and the owl, and if those creatures crossed the path of an innocent person on the way… no, we would have to keep it a secret. Have you told anyone else of this, Harry?” 

“No, we’re the only ones who know about it.” 

“Then I must insist that all of you keep this an absolute secret, even from your friends and family,” Dumbledore said. “We will meet with Professors Flitwick and Sprout to discuss this further. I would want to examine every possible way in which Black could stage a counter-attack and make sure that we have put the appropriate defences in place. If you could all return here in three days at the same time then we will let you know our conclusions.” 

“Okay. Thanks for considering the idea,” Harry said. 

“Oh, that is no trouble at all,” Dumbledore assured him. “If this could rid us of the Dementors then truly, it would be worthwhile. Now, before you all leave, I will award thirty points each to Slytherin and Gryffindor, for you working together and producing a most innovative idea.” 

“That’s nice, Headmaster, but there are seven Gryffindors and two Slytherins here,” George remarked with a cheeky grin. “So, this idea of us getting equal points—” 

“Mr Weasley, that is quite enough!” Professor McGonagall told him, sounding outraged. “If you’re not careful I’ll take those points away, and more besides!” 

“Sorry Professor,” he said as they left the room, clearly not meaning it. Percy, Hermione, Blaise and Theo were all giving George dirty looks while Fred clapped his twin on the back in congratulations. 

“And they say that Slytherins are the cunning ones,” Theo remarked when the door had closed behind them. 

“Oh well, it was just a joke,” George said easily. “It’s not like he really was going to dish out more points.” 

“I bet we’ll all get loads more when we catch Black,” Neville said confidently. “With Hufflepuff being way behind and Ravenclaw having lost so many points because of Burrow and Blunt, it’s looking like either Slytherin or Gryffindor for the House Cup this year.” 

“I like a good contest,” Blaise replied with a cheerful smile. “Anyway, we’d better head back to the Slytherin common room. See you all tomorrow.” 

“Bye,” Harry said. “And thanks, both of you.” 

“Are Blaise and Theo going to get in trouble with Professor Snape, do you think?” Neville asked with concern as they made their way back to the Gryffindor common room. 

“The Professor didn’t look angry with them,” Percy said, sounding slightly doubtful. 

“He was too busy niffling,” George said. “That’s what me and Fred call it when Snape knows that there’s something suspicious going on and he’s trying to work out what. You know, like a niffler hunting for a stack of galleons or jewels.” 

“He’s a really good niffler,” Fred added, with a rueful note to his voice, “as we know to our cost.” 

“They’ll be okay, Neville,” Harry reassured his friend. “Blaise will have it all planned out; he knew we’d be seeing Professor Snape today, after all. Hey, do you want to come with us when we walk around Hogsmeade next time? I haven’t been before so you can show me all of the best places.” 

Neville’s face brightened, and he was successfully diverted from worrying about the Slytherins as he started to tell Harry about all of the interesting sights of the village. 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 


	17. The game changer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All rights to the Harry Potter universe belong to JK Rowling. I don’t own Harry Potter.
> 
> A/N: Hi, thanks to everyone who’s reading this story and leaving comments and kudos, I do appreciate it.
> 
> Also, I have had to include some distances in this chapter and they’re expressed in miles. I got some comments querying this when I used miles to express distances in chapter 1, so just to mention in advance that I’m British myself and in Britain, the mile is a widely used measurement still – all distances on road signs are in miles, for example.

_External forces have the power to derail any project. Although advance planning can prevent negative consequences from occurring, sometimes a project team can only react to a situation and aim to limit the damage of it as best they can._

Filius Flitwick knew from the moment that he showed Severus Snape into his living room on Saturday afternoon that the Potions master wanted to talk to him about something important. He was pleased about this, and hoped that he could be of assistance to the other man. Since Harry Potter had confided in him about his wish to get on better terms with Professor Snape, Filius had carefully watched the big events of the term unfold and for the most part, he was pleased with the results. He’d always had a talent for spotting hidden connections between events, and he knew without being told that Harry Potter was the leading force behind the Teaching Charter. He was also impressed with the changes which had been made by Professor Snape as a result of it. Even so, he’d been sensing for a while now that the man sitting next to him was troubled deeply for some reason. 

The two Heads of House chatted in a desultory way as afternoon tea was consumed; it was a light and simple conversation, touching on next term’s lesson plans, the Headmaster’s garish new robes and how likely it was that there would be snow before Christmas. Filius didn’t rush things, and it was only after an hour of gentle gossip that Severus started to talk about deeper matters. He told a shocked Filius all about the decision he’d had to make as to whether or not to leave the school, and how he’d only been able to stay by using the _Volens Melius_ spell. Severus explained everything in detail, including the reasons why he’d chosen to remain at Hogwarts and the deceit he’d employed to hide the true purpose of the _Volens Melius_ spell from Dumbledore. 

“My dear Severus,” he said warmly, “I have to salute you. Truly, you have made a most brave and honourable sacrifice for the sake of the school!” 

****

Severus’s eyes widened. “Do you think so?” 

“Absolutely. Many men in your position would have handed in their resignation and walked away. You didn’t. You placed duty first, regardless of the cost to yourself, and I think that’s much to be admired. I can barely imagine the bravery it must have required to cast such an unfamiliar spell on yourself.” 

“I was scared, you know, Filius,” he admitted. “I was very much afraid.” 

“And yet you didn’t pull back; that is true courage. Bravo, Severus, bravo!” Snape smiled, feeling rather heartened by the unexpected compliments. 

“Thank you, Filius. I appreciate you saying so.” 

“Oh, I mean it. And you did the right thing. I know the Slytherins had concerns at first about the Teaching Charter, but they seem quite sanguine about it now from what I can see – or is that just on the surface?” 

“They interpreted the Charter as being a personal attack on me by the Gryffindors at first. We have moved past that now, I’m glad to say.” 

“That’s good.” Filius hesitated. “Did… did you think that, Severus?” 

“I didn’t know what to think at first. In the end though, it didn’t matter what their motive was. I will admit, just between us, that the Charter is fair and provides equal rights for all students.” 

“I quite agree, and I’m pleased that you’ve been able to make it work for you. I think it was worth it. Quite a few of the students have spoken positively to me about the changes that have taken place in Potions lessons over the last couple of weeks. My Ravenclaws are delighted about it, and I think many of the other student are happy too.” 

“I have seen this also,” Severus said slowly. “The students seem to appreciate the adjustments that I’m making. They…” 

“Yes?” 

“Two days ago, a couple of Hufflepuff first years came to my office before morning lessons and asked for some clarification as to how they should carry out research for their homework essay. Five days ago, a Gryffindor fifth-year stayed behind after class and requested advice on the best way to structure their Potions OWL revision schedule. There have been several other similar incidents. My Slytherins know that they can always come to me for help, but with the other Houses, they have never… I did not expect it, Filius.” 

“Every time something like that happens from now on, you should see it as a compliment,” Flitwick told him warmly. “They’re starting to trust you.” 

Severus looked surprised. “Trust me? Really?” 

“Yes, really. I admire all of the actions you’ve taken, and it’s greatly to your credit that you have done so. It can’t have been easy for you, even with that insidious spell to help.” 

“No, it wasn’t. At first I struggled to know exactly how to adapt my teaching manner. I can’t be like yourself or Pomona, all cheerful and relaxed in the classroom - that’s just not me. But then I realised that all I actually needed to do was to become more like Minerva.” 

“Ah, so that was your strategy? Well, I can quite see what you mean. You’ve always both been strict, no-nonsense teachers.” 

“Yes, many of the basics were already there,” Severus said thoughtfully. “We both expect students to pay close attention and not mess around in our classroom. We are both stern and use a firm approach, setting high standards. All I had to do was to made amendments in certain areas to bring myself into line with her. Minerva is, for example, perfectly willing to take points from members of her own House if she feels it justified. That is something which I now do myself, among other things.” 

“Does she know that you used her approach to teaching as a benchmark?” Filius asked with a smile. 

“No, and I don’t intend to tell her. She’s smug enough about the whole thing as it is!” 

“Minerva has been teasing you somewhat about making so many changes due to the Charter, I know.” 

“Her and most of the other Professors. It’s been rather hard, I’ve found - getting used to being the staff room joke.” 

“That is not what you are!” Filius told him instantly. “I think— Severus, is this why I’ve barely seen you in the staff room this week? Do you feel uncomfortable with us now?” 

“Not with you,” Severus replied quietly. “You haven’t mocked me, as the others have.” 

“I know they’ve had some fun at your expense, but Severus – you are widely respected for what you’ve done. Don’t think otherwise, I beg of you.” 

He shrugged. “It doesn’t matter.” 

“Yes, it does matter!” Filius insisted. “We Professors barely see any other adults during the school term, apart from the odd walk into Hogsmeade of an evening if we can find the time – and that’s not often for either of us, as Heads of House. You know as well as I do that the Hogwarts staff need each other for social company. I think that if you come back to the staff room then you’ll find this whole thing will all blow over very soon. Please, trust me on this.” 

Severus looked at the other man and recognised that his concern was genuine. “Thank you for taking an interest. I’ll do as you suggest.” 

“I’m glad. You need some cheering up, I think!” 

“Well perhaps, but I’m not the best company myself at the moment, Filius.” 

“May I ask why? Is it the spell itself - how has it changed you exactly?” 

Severus sighed. “It’s not easy to put into words. I think I can best describe it by comparing a person’s emotions to a wide river, which sometimes flows calmly with shallow water and sometimes turns into white water rapids. When the _Volens Melius_ spell activated, for the first time I was able to climb out of that river and stand on the bank, observing it rush by and studying its movements. It was only then I realised that my own particular river of emotions runs so fast and so deep because it is powered by masses of anger and resentment and bitterness. I also saw for the first time how many of my ideas, thoughts and decisions were fuelled by those negative emotions.” 

Filius nodded understandingly. “That must have been very traumatic for you.” 

Severus looked across at him with a stricken expression. “I’ve made so many mistakes, Filius. In the past I think I self-justified my actions by making reference to my own feelings, but now… now I look at myself with those emotions put aside and all I can see is a bitter and pathetic bully of a man. There were a couple of Professors who bullied me when I was a student here, and I _hated_ them for it. And yet here I am now, acting almost as badly. Perhaps I should have resigned after all.” 

“I think you are being rather hard on yourself, Severus.” 

“I wish I was! No, I see myself clearly now, for the first time in my life \- and I don’t like what I see at all.” 

Filius looked closely at him. There was silence for a moment as he considered what to say. “Severus, I have known you for many years and I find much in your character to admire and like. But yes, you have always had your faults too. My advice to you is to accept that you have made mistakes in the past, acknowledge that and try to put them right. You’ve already started down that road, haven’t you?” 

“I am trying to do better,” Severus said hesitantly. “I am truly sorry for my actions, but the thing is that I can’t say so – not in public. I have to keep the respect of my Slytherins, or my plans to try and protect them when war comes will fail completely, and that could cost lives.” 

“Then the answer is quite simple,” Filius told him, “show that you feel sorry in actions rather than words. However, I would suggest making one exception to that rule; you have been particularly harsh with Harry Potter, you know.” 

“I… yes. I have been. It was all so personal, Filius.” 

“He’s not James Potter, you know. Quite a different person, really.” 

“I am starting to see that for myself,” he admitted. “I will consider all that you have said, Filius. And yes, I will speak to Mr. Potter.” 

“Good. You will not get far with aiding him if he does not start to trust you as well, and an apology will help with that process. Now, these feelings of regret and remorse, they’re important; you should remember them, but not dwell on them. You should be proud of yourself, Severus – there are few people who could alter themselves as thoroughly as you are doing. Try to forgive yourself, at least a little.” 

“Forgive myself?” Severus repeated doubtfully. 

“I think it’s about time,” Filius told him, smiling at the other man. “And if you can, then it will be easier to achieve everything else that you’re setting out to do. Too much self-blame means living in the past; you can’t afford that, when so much is at stake in the present and future.” 

“Forgive myself,” he said again, looking thoughtful. “Well, Slytherin is the House of ambition…” 

“One more thing, Severus. I’m with you on this, if you want me to be. Everything that you’re trying to do with the _Volens Melius_ is admirable. Would you like an ally to help you achieve your objectives?” 

Severus’s face softened. “I would be honoured.” He held out his hand and Filius shook it solemnly. 

“We will accomplish great things together,” Filius told him, and somehow Severus knew that this was true. 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

Harry and his friends returned to the Headmaster’s office three days later as planned. They found all four Heads of House present, plus Fawkes and a large brown owl sitting together on a perch. The owl had a letter strapped to its leg, and Harry could clearly read his own name on the front of it. 

“Does this mean we’re going ahead with the plan?” he asked eagerly. 

“Indeed we are,” the Headmaster said with a wide smile. “The owl you see before you is called Sasha, and he has volunteered to attempt to deliver the letter to Sirius Black. Sasha understands that this is a perilous task but he has agreed to take the risk, for the sake of the school. We will be sending him and Fawkes out shortly under cover of darkness. If they are unsuccessful, they will return to the castle and we will try again tomorrow, and then as many other times as we need to. You see, Fawkes informs me that he may need some time to perfect his dark wizard tracking skills.” 

“We have placed four more owls outside as well,” Professor Flitwick informed them. “All of them have different tracking spells in place, and they have been instructed to follow Fawkes and Sasha here at a distance.” 

“We carefully considered whether to send wizards on broomsticks with them as well, but we decided against it in the end,” the Headmaster added. “After all, we’re entirely uninformed as to Black’s current situation. When we find him, he could be alone or there could be twenty other dark wizards with him. It would not be right to send any of our people into such a potentially dangerous state of affairs. The use of owls is a wiser option, and will hopefully assist us in being discreet about what we’re doing. As I mentioned last time, the Ministry will not be informed of this plan on the grounds of safety – however, I will share the details with them if we can get the letter delivered.” 

“We’ve also prepared a highly secure location which Black will be transported to if he touches any of the various portkeys which we’re sending to him,” Professor McGonagall said. “Now, your mail will be diverted as we have discussed from now on, Mr. Potter. I will hand any checked letters or parcels to you personally for the foreseeable future; you can collect them from my office at the end of afternoon school each day. Don’t touch the owl,” she added quickly, as Harry took a step towards Sasha. “He is loaded with magical protections and enchantments which must not be disturbed. You may speak to him, however.” 

Harry felt a little self-conscious doing so while so many people watched, but the owl was risking his life so it only seemed right to thank him. “Hi Sasha,” he said awkwardly. “I just wanted to say thanks for what you’re doing. It’s really brave of you and we all appreciate it. I hope that you can deliver the letter safely and make it back unharmed.” The owl hooted at him quietly and there was a soft flurry of feathers. “Thank you,” Harry said. He felt that the words were inadequate but he wasn’t sure what else to say. 

“Moving speech that, Harry,” George commented. “So emotional… so heart-warming. If I was going out on a deadly mission with little hope of survival then those are just the words that I hope you’d say to me.” 

“Shut up,” Harry muttered, going red. 

“If you think you can do better then by all means please do try, Mr. Weasley,” Dumbledore said with amusement. 

“Alright,” George replied, grinning. He walked over to stand by the owl’s perch. “Sasha, oh brave and selfless owl, thank you for cutting your life short for the sake of the school—” 

“He may well come back, Mr. Weasley,” Professor Sprout pointed out mildly. 

“And through the mists of time, you will be remembered as the wisest and best of owls that all of us humble witches and wizards have ever known….” 

Professor McGonagall rolled her eyes. “I wish you hadn’t encouraged him, Albus.” 

“Surely statues will be built in your honour, and whole wings of the school renamed after you (wings, get it?), and I bet they award you the Order of Merlin – that’d be an owl order, right! – because you really deserve a reward for such valour, such gallantry in the face of incredible danger—” 

“Thank you Mr. Weasley, I think the owl has been praised enough,” Professor Flitwick said firmly. 

“More than enough,” Professor Snape muttered. 

“And to make such a supreme mortal sacrifice, you are to be admired above all owls. I promise to name all of my children after you, even if it does get a bit confusing. Your—” George stopped abruptly as the owl hooted at him fiercely, gave him a stern glare and flapped his wings at top speed. 

“I rather think you have offended Sasha,” the Headmaster remarked. “Please desist now, Mr. Weasley. We need our friend here to remain focused on the task ahead.” 

“He’s a bit ungrateful,” George grumbled as he walked back to join the others. “He didn’t treat Harry that way.” 

“And you wonder why?” Snape said acerbically. “Mr. Potter’s words may not have been the most eloquent, but they were sincerely expressed and spoken with the wellbeing of the owl at heart. You, on the other hand, were simply showing off and joking – and in so doing, you showed a lack of respect for this owl, and for the great risk that he is taking for us all.” 

George went red with embarrassment. “Sorry,” he mumbled. 

“Let’s move on,” Professor McGonagall said, giving Professor Snape a firm nod of approval. “Mr. Potter, we have now applied spells to your dorm room which mean that if anyone who is neither a Gryffindor student nor a member of staff enters it then they will immediately be bound in unbreakable chains, and an alarm will be sounded as well.” 

“That’ll be helpful,” Harry said. 

“Quite so,” the Headmaster agreed. “And now for additional protection, just in case, we will be placing some tracking spells on you and on objects around you, Harry.” 

Professor Snape came forward, and held out a vial. “This is a potion which can has a distinctive magical signature that can be traced. Drink it.” Harry did so, grimacing at the unpleasant taste. “It will only remain active for a week, so make sure that you come to see me in six days for a repeat dose. Now, we have some additional items which will do a similar job. Put this on.” Snape handed him a copper-coloured necklace. It was inlaid with several black stones and numerous carved runes. As Harry felt the necklace settle against his skin, he could almost sense the magic that it held. 

“It’s disappeared!” Neville exclaimed. 

Professor McGonagall sighed. “Well, it would hardly be of use if Black could spot it!” Neville blushed. 

“And now take these,” Professor Snape said. He handed Harry a few sickles, a handkerchief, a Gryffindor tie, a watch, some socks and a quill. “All of these items have been made into tracking devices. They are charmed to be unbreakable. We have not made them invisible since they are normal objects which you might be expected to wear or carry around with you. The magic within them is designed to be untraceable however, even if the most intensive detection spells are used. Keep them on your person at all times, including when you are in bed – but perhaps strap the tie around your waist while sleeping for safety. If you should forget any item and leave them behind then they will emit a strong Compulsion spell to compel you to return for them.” 

“But at night, I mean… I don’t have pockets in my pyjamas,” Harry said, feeling embarrassed to mention it. 

Professor Snape glanced across at Percy. “Mr. Weasley, I will assign to you the job of casting the appropriate Transfiguration spells to ensure that all of Mr. Potter’s clothing, including nightwear, school uniform, casual clothes and quidditch apparel, is given as many pockets as he requires.” 

“Of course, Professor!” Percy said, sounding smug. “I’ll see to it as soon as we return to the common room.” 

“Does this mean you’ll know where I am all of the time?” Harry asked, not liking the idea very much. 

“Temporarily, yes,” Snape replied coolly. “A necessary safety precaution, given what we’re attempting. They shouldn’t be needed if you remain within the school and are properly supervised, but I don’t believe in leaving anything to chance. However, I assure you that we will not be monitoring your movements on a day-to-day basis; these objects will only be used to locate you if we believe that you are at risk.” 

“Now, the rest of you have a role to play in this as well,” Professor McGonagall said. “Mr. Potter can’t be left alone at any time. You will all work as a team to ensure that he is always accompanied by at least two other students.” 

“You can count on us, Professor!” Percy exclaimed loudly. 

“Yes, we won’t let you down!” Neville chimed in. Harry groaned inwardly. He saw Blaise giving him an evil grin and glared back at him. 

“What distance do the tracking spells cover?” Hermione asked. 

“Ah, they vary quite a bit,” Professor Flitwick said cheerfully. “Each object has separate spell layering, and we’ve had to sacrifice a degree of range in some cases in order to build in additional magical enhancements. That being so, they can track Mr. Potter here over a distance of anything between ten miles to a thousand miles.” 

“Ten miles isn’t much,” Ron said doubtfully. 

“True, but that distance is for the necklace only, as it has powerful charms embedded to help it function even through the most robust of magical barriers. Now, the potion, the quill and the sickles have an operating distance of about three hundred miles, while the tie and the socks are around twice that and the watch and the handkerchief will cover the full thousand miles. I think that together they will offer Mr. Potter a very comprehensive form of protection, though as we’ve said they shouldn’t be needed. I think we all feel better knowing that they’re in place, however.” 

“Well, I believe that covers everything,” Dumbledore said. “It only remains to send our feathered friends on their way.” He opened the window with a flick of his wand. “Goodbye for now, Sasha and Fawkes. Thank you both. Travel safely and return to us soon.” The two birds hooted and flew out of the office. “We will advise you all when there is something meaningful to report, but please be patient as it may be some days before we have definitive news.” 

“Thanks for doing this,” Harry said to the Professors. “I know it must have been a lot of work.” 

“But for a very good cause,” Professor Flitwick told him with a smile. “We used most of those suggestions of yours, you know, when we crafted the required spells. Why, even my Ravenclaws couldn’t have come up with ideas as ingenious as those!” The other teachers nodded their agreement. Harry and the others thanked the Professors and went back to their respective common rooms, feeling well pleased with their efforts. It was a couple of days later before it occurred to Harry that during the meeting in the Headmaster’s office, a unique and remarkable event had occurred, one which he had never thought to see – but which had passed almost unnoticed during the rapid flow of conversation; Professor Snape had actually complimented something which he had done. Yes, it was while he was telling off George, but even so… it had been a genuine compliment. 

One way or another, Harry thought this was the most unusual school term he’d ever experienced. 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

The next week was highly frustrating as far as Harry was concerned. Percy, with the willing compliance of all the other quest group members, arranged Harry’s schedule to ensure that even within the Gryffindor common room or his dorm, he was never left alone. He was allowed to go to the bathroom on his own, but only with either Ron or Neville standing guard outside. Harry felt stifled by this, and he chafed under the lack of freedom offered by this new regime; it made his mood worsen by the day. The fact that he’d created this whole situation himself by coming up with the idea of writing to Black did not make him feel any better. 

The only cheerful note of the week came when the Headmaster announced at lunch one day that lessons in the Patronus Charm would be made available from the following week. Those interested in studying the Charm were asked to advise Professor Lupin who would put them down for a lesson, which would be taken by an auror. Harry and his friends all signed up for the Patronus class, although Ron and Neville admitted to having serious doubts about whether they had the magical strength to cast it. Harry also thanked Professor Lupin for his help in arranging the classes and Lupin acknowledged his thanks formally, but without showing any particular warmth. This made Harry suspect that it would be some time until Lupin forgave him for pressing the issue, though that didn’t concern him very much. Of more interest was the note which he received the following day from Mr. Moody. This simply said: __

__

_Mr. Potter,_

_I hear it was your idea to petition the Auror Department for Patronus Charm lessons. Smart move, that – you lot all need to be prepared. I’ll see you in class._

_AM_

Ten days after Harry wrote to Charlie Weasley, he received a reply back. This was sooner than he’d expected, although Harry had used one of the school’s special international journey owls, which might have helped. The response was very encouraging. 

_Hello Harry,_

__

_I got your letter this morning. It’s good to hear from one of Ron’s friends - I know all about you of course, Ron’s mentioned you in his letters many times. Sounds like a tricky situation with the hippogriff but I think I should be able to help out. There is a place which would be a suitable new home for Buckbeak. Have you ever heard of Zuquerri? It’s a warm, lush island, hidden from muggles and located a couple of hundred miles east of Madagascar. The only people living there are a group of witches and wizards who look after the animals and are well trained in working with even the most dangerous of them. There’s magical wildlife of all sorts there, and I know that includes a hippogriff colony. I’ve always wanted to see it for myself! Anyway, I met one of the Deputy Directors from Zuquerri when he visited us a while back to see the dragons. His name is Francesco Mancini and he’s a very warm and kind-hearted animal lover (like myself, haha!), so I’m confident he’ll help out. I’ve already written to him to explain the situation and ask for his help. I’ll let you know as soon as I hear back._

__

_Best wishes, Charlie_

Harry then told Ron what he’d done and showed him the letter from Charlie. Ron was surprised at this news, but also excited by the idea of shipping Buckbeak off to a nice new home. He immediately convened a Danger Club meeting for that afternoon to discuss this further and make plans. Professor Sinistra was also invited, since it had recently been agreed that she would present the case for Buckbeak at the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures hearing, which was taking place on the 10th of December. Ron told Harry triumphantly that this was the very breakthrough that they needed, to which Harry replied it was a relief that _something_ was going right. 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

A few days later, Professor McGonagall asked Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville to wait behind after their Transfiguration lesson had finished. 

“The Headmaster requested that I speak to you and let you know our news. Up to last night we had made fifteen failed attempts at delivering the letter to Sirius Black. This morning, after the sixteenth try, Fawkes returned to the school - alone.” 

Harry gulped. “Does that mean that he… that Sasha is—” 

“We don’t know yet. Aurors have checked the scene where the tracking owls led them to and found no trace of either Black or Sasha, nor of any dark magic residue. Black must have disapparated and taken Sasha with him - except that one of the portkeys should have triggered when he did so, which didn’t happen.” 

“Have _any_ of the trap spells activated?” Hermione asked. 

“None, I’m sorry to say,” Professor McGonagall replied, looking thoroughly exasperated. “Not yet, anyway. However, we can conclude from this that Black is interested in the letter, since otherwise he would simply have killed or ignored the owl and left the scene. Therefore, he’s probably taking his time and attempting to cautiously break through our magical defences, but I hardly think he’ll find them all. We must be patient, and careful – and in the meantime don’t lower your guard, any of you.” 

“No chance of that, Professor,” Harry replied, with a glance at the others. Neville blushed a little but gave him a determined look back. 

“I know it’s tiresome,” Professor McGonagall conceded, “but it’s essential that you all understand the importance of staying alert to danger. Please pass on the news to the rest of your group for me. Now, you’d better be off or you will be late for Potions.” 

Fortunately they arrived just in time for Potions class, after some rapid not-quite-but-almost running which left Neville red-faced and the other three out of breath. Professor Snape ushered them in while Harry checked out Snape’s hair with a quick glance to make sure it was still in top condition, which for some reason had become a daily habit of his. He and Neville had their joint interview booked in with Professor Snape to discuss their Potions progress in a couple of weeks. Hermione’s had already taken place; she’d been ecstatic with the results and had raved afterwards about how insightful the whole thing was and how informative Professor Snape had been. Ron’s look of disgusted disbelief as he listened to her had been highly entertaining to watch. 

To begin the lesson, Professor Snape gave them careful instructions on how to prepare that day’s potion and briskly dealt with any questions that the students had. Harry and Neville completed the assembly of their potion without any issues, having become used to each other’s ways of working now and developed an effective partnership. Snape monitored everyone’s progress and offered corrections and suggestions as he checked their work; looking across at him, Harry wondered if the novelty of seeing a helpful and reasonable Snape in action would ever wear off. By the end of the lesson, every pair of students had completed a potion which looked to be at least of an acceptable standard. Once they’d cleared away their ingredients and tidied up, Snape returned their last essays to them, with marks and supporting comments noted on each one. Harry and Neville both received good marks, and Snape had written _“A very competent and thorough analysis”_ on Harry’s, which made him grin. His mood during the lesson was sunny and cheerful, and so he wasn’t at all worried when Professor Snape asked him to stay behind after class. 

“I will escort Mr. Potter to the Great Hall for lunch,” Snape told his friends, “so you need not remain.” 

“Sorry Professor, but we were told not to leave him,” Neville replied, in a nervous tone. “So, erm…” 

Snape rolled his eyes. “In which case, you may wait for him further down the corridor. Much further. Mr. Potter, come with me to my office.” 

Harry followed Snape into the office. They both sat down, and Harry waited curiously to hear what he was wanted for. 

“There is a personal matter which I would like to discuss with you,” Snape told him. “What I am about to say is private and between us. It must not go further, or become public knowledge. However, I will give you permission to speak to Mr. Weasley, Mr. Longbottom and Miss Granger about it if necessary, providing that you also swear them to secrecy in the same manner before you do. Are you willing to give me your word of honour that you will comply with these conditions?” 

“Yes, you have my word,” Harry said, more eager than ever now to understand what was going on. 

“Very well. Mr. Potter, I’m sorry.” 

“Erm, what?” Harry replied in confusion after a moment. He’d assumed that Snape’s words were only a prelude, to be followed by further details - I’ _m sorry that you keep causing trouble, Potter_ perhaps, or _I’m sorry to have to issue you with yet another detention_ \- but that seemed to be it. 

“I’m sorry for how I have acted towards you since your arrival at Hogwarts,” Snape clarified. “I have treated you most unfairly and you have every right to be angry at me because of it. I do deeply regret my actions, and I wanted you to know that.” 

Harry was shocked. “You… you’re telling me that you feel bad about how you’ve acted?” 

“Yes, very much so. It has taken me until this term to see that you are not your father, and that in fact you have many worthwhile qualities which so far I have completely failed to notice.” 

It felt to Harry as if something hot and sore was twisting inside of his stomach. He could tell, he knew for sure, that Snape was speaking truthfully. A Snape apology, out of the blue. It was exactly what he’d always wanted, it was why he’d started the quest in the first place, he should be happy… but all he could feel was an expanding sense of wrath and outrage. 

“Do you think that makes everything alright?” he asked bitterly. “One little apology and we’re all fine?” 

“No, I don’t think that,” Snape replied quietly. “However, now that I have finally recognised that I’ve made mistakes with my life, and with yourself especially, it seemed right to admit it. An apology is what you are owed, Mr. Potter, at the very least.” 

“But not a public apology, right?” he sneered. “All this time you’ve done everything you can to hurt me and make me feel bad in front of the entire school, but when it comes to making up for it then you speak to me privately and make me keep it a secret. You’re a hypocrite, a complete fraud!” 

“That isn’t true. It’s not for my own sake that this has to stay a secret,” Snape told him. “I would apologise in public were it possible, but if I did so then the Slytherins would no longer have any regard for me and that can’t be allowed to happen. Too much rides on this, more than you know; people might lose their lives one day if I spoke of this to others.” 

At this point, Harry completely lost his temper. He jumped up and started yelling at Snape, words pouring out of him in a wave of hatred. “You LIAR! I don’t know why you’re saying this but none of it is true! You’re a horrible man and everyone hates you, because you’ve been awful to them as well. What about Neville, doesn’t he get an apology? You were his BOGGART! He’s been terrified of you, and you know it, and all you’ve done since is make it worse for him!” 

Snape nodded slowly. “You’re right, Mr. Potter. I will speak to Mr. Longbottom and apologise to him as well.” 

“I hope he doesn’t believe you,” Harry stormed. “You’re a nasty, slimy git! You wouldn’t know how to be sorry for anything!” 

“There is a time when that would have been true, but not anymore. I’m trying to change, and to do better. Really, I am truly sorry,” Snape insisted. He had gone pale, but unlike Harry he was still calm. “I can understand that it might mean nothing to you, but I am sincere in what I say. If I can do something to make it up to you for my actions so far, then I hope you will let me.” 

“I’ll tell you what you can do to make it up to me,” Harry shouted, slamming his hand down on the desk, “you can throw yourself off the Astronomy tower, how about that? Or drown yourself in the lake, that’d be just as good! I wish you were dead! I hate you, Snape, you’re a rubbish teacher and an even worse person, so you can take your pathetic apology and shove it!” He grabbed his bag and stormed out of the room, filled with feelings of hatred and bitterness which he could neither understand nor control. Snape remained in the room, still and silent. 

Ron, Neville and Hermione were all standing by the dungeon stairs, waiting for him. “What’s wrong?” Ron said as he came towards them. “Did Snape say something nasty?” 

“Leave it,” Harry snarled. “I’m going outside. And for once, _don’t_ follow me!” His friends let him go, but remained at a distance – they wanted to stick with him but they were a little unnerved at how angry he was. Harry walked quickly down to the lake; his overwhelming wish was not so much to get there as to get away from Snape. The weather was dry but cold, and he became progressively more chilled as he stayed by the lake on his own. An hour passed, and then two. Harry knew that he should be in a class by then; he couldn’t remember which one and hoped that he wouldn’t get into too much trouble. How could he possibly explain where he’d been and what he’d been doing? 

It took quite a while for the fury to fade away. Slowly, Harry’s emotions made the transition from explosive rage to something calmer, more under his control. And from there, he started to feel fear. He had insulted a Professor in the rudest possible way, and not just any Professor. Snape wouldn’t tolerate that; Harry knew he would be punished severely. It might be points loss on a grand scale, enough to ruin their chances of winning the House Cup and make every Gryffindor turn against him, just as they’d done after the dragon smuggling incident in his first year. Detentions he could manage – but then again, Snape had a strongly developed ability for making them hideous experiences. 

Distressing though these possibilities were, he groaned with dismay as an even worse thought came into his mind. Harry had insulted Snape’s teaching – among other things – so what if as a result, Snape was so angry with him that he went back to his old, nasty ways in the classroom? The other students were so pleased with all of the alterations that Snape had made in Potions class already; even the Slytherins liked some of them. What would everyone say if the quest was ruined because of him? 

“He wouldn’t,” Harry said, trying to convince himself. “He wouldn’t.” But there was no comfort in the words. Shivering and close to tears, he got up and walked back towards the school. 

Ron and Neville were waiting for him at the castle entrance. “Hermione’s gone to History of Magic class,” Ron told him. “She said she’d take notes for us and give Binns some excuse for why we couldn’t make the lesson. It’ll be over by now, but if we hurry, we might get to Charms on time – only if you feel up to it, though.” 

“Yeah,” Harry said, giving him a weak smile. “Sorry about before, I was just a bit worked up.” The other two nodded and didn’t ask any questions; Harry guessed they were holding back to avoid upsetting him further. “Come on, let’s go to Charms.” 

“We grabbed some food from the lunch table as well to keep you going,” Neville said, offering him a couple of sandwiches. Harry took them, giving him a smile of thanks. Whatever the consequences were to be of his behaviour towards Snape, having good friends would make it a little bit easier for him to face them. 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

The following day dawned bright and clear, and Harry made it through a morning’s worth of lessons along with lunch, all most uneventfully. Nothing in the way of disciplinary action came his way – no summons to the Headmaster’s office, no dressing down by Professor McGonagall, no swiftly imposed punishment by Professor Snape. Harry could only see Snape at a distance across the Great Hall but he looked perfectly normal. He was unsure what to make of this; after all, if Snape wanted to punish him then he was usually pretty quick about it. 

Although he had permission to speak to his friends about the conversation with Snape, Harry chose not to. He merely told them at lunch that Snape had not said or done anything wrong, they’d just had a very personal conversation and he’d rather not dwell on it. Ron was clearly disappointed not to hear more, but he was easily diverted when Harry asked him for another Danger Club update. It seemed that the new curriculum, containing actual magical creatures combined with increased safety measures, had already started and was working well. The third-years would be able to see this themselves for the first time in their lesson with Hagrid the next day. Preparations for Buckbeak’s hearing were also at an advanced stage; Ron said that although they felt fairly confident about getting the hippogriff acquitted, the option of sending him abroad would be really helpful if Charlie’s friend came through for them. 

The first lesson that afternoon was Divination, taught (if such a word was appropriate) by a somewhat sulky Professor Trelawney. Although she had not been required to make many changes to her class as a result of the Teaching Charter, it had quickly been decided by the other Professors that any prophecies she might come up with relating to the death, torture or extreme suffering of students or their close relatives should not be spoken of during lessons. Instead, Professor Trelawney was required to refer all such prophecies to the student’s Head of House who would determine the appropriate course of action. She regarded these new arrangements with frequently expressed resentment, although Harry for one was grateful that he was no longer being told during Divination lessons how short his lifespan would be and how grave the peril was that loomed all around him. It wasn’t as if that was news to him anyway. 

The final lesson of the day was the one which Harry had been both looking forward to and worrying a lot about; the new Patronus Charm class. Students had been split into small groups for this, each to be taught by different auror. Harry’s group was a mixture of third-year and fourth-year students. The others from his year were Hermione, Tracy Davies and Michael Corner. From the fourth year they had Marcus Belby, Herbert Fleet, Helen Dawlish and David Urquhart. As Harry had expected from Mr. Moody’s letter, he was their teacher. When the names of the Patronus groups and their assigned aurors had been put up in the Gryffindor common room, various people had commiserated with Harry and Hermione about being ‘unlucky’ enough to get Moody, which was partly why he was worrying. The others were nervous as well - he could see that right away when they were all assembled in class; Mr. Moody’s reputation clearly proceeded him. 

Everyone stared when Moody entered the room; it wasn’t polite but they couldn’t help it. Harry had seen his picture in the Prophet but it had only shown his head and shoulders, so he was surprised to see that the auror had a wooden leg, which thumped heavily on the floor as he walked. Moody studied each one of them, his artificial eye dwelling quite a bit on Harry. He seemed even more unnerving than Snape on his worst day, and that was without him saying a single word. 

“Well then, let’s get down to business. My name’s Moody and I’m an auror. I’ve been asked to try and teach you the Patronus Charm. I say ‘try’ because not all of you will manage it. This is difficult magic and it’ll need sustained commitment and a lot of hard work on your part. Make no mistake, this is one of the toughest spells that you’ll ever study. Many can’t master it, even adults - so don’t feel bad if you fail. I won’t blame you for that, and if you want to pull out of these lessons any time then you can. Now, introduce yourselves in turn – tell me your name, your House and your reason for choosing to learn the Patronus Charm. Don’t lie to me about the reason, I’ll know if you do and you’ll be out of this class before it’s even started. You first,” Moody said, pointing at one of the girls on the front row. 

“I’m Tracy Davies from Slytherin. I want to learn the Patronus because the Dementors make me feel awful, and I don’t want them to have that kind of power over me.” 

“A worthwhile incentive,” Moody agreed. “Next!” 

“I’m Michael Corner from Ravenclaw. I want to learn it because, well… I know it’s really advanced, like NEWT level or higher. I’m a third-year student. When else will I get a chance to study something so complex? Probably not for two or three years at least! I really like the challenge of it.” 

“A Ravenclaw’s answer, eh? Knowledge for the sake of it. I don’t have a problem with that, as long as you’re willing to put the work in. Next!” 

“I’m Hermione Granger from Gryffindor. I want to study the Patronus Charm because…” she flushed with embarrassment, “well, because I want to be able to cast it if Harry can’t.” 

One or two of the other students snickered at this, but hastily stopped as Moody gave them a death glare. “Loyalty to a friend, I see… that’s one of the strongest motivators there is. You won’t give up easily I expect, not with that front and centre in your mind.” Hermione looked pleased and Harry gave her a smile of appreciation. 

“I’m Pamela Alton from Ravenclaw. I’d like to learn the Patronus because I’m planning a career in the Ministry and I’d need it for that. It would be good to know it even before starting work there.” 

“It’s always sensible to plan ahead,” Moody conceded. “Next!” 

“I’m David Urquhart from Slytherin. I’m here because my family all live in Hogsmeade, and of course I know a lot of the other families there too. If there’s any trouble with the Dementors going where they shouldn’t, like they did at the quidditch game, then I want to be able to make sure that my relatives and neighbours don’t get hurt.” 

“Thinking about people who are important to you, eh? Good. That’ll keep you focused, I’m sure. Next?” 

“Erm hi, I’m Herbert Fleet from Hufflepuff. I don’t know if I’m good enough to learn the Patronus but I want to try because, well… I know this sounds silly, but I feel it’s my duty to. It feels like it’s the right thing to do, morally speaking. I mean, there were Professors at the quidditch match who used the Patronus to drive the Dementors off, but what if the same thing had happened at a practice game when there weren’t any adults there? I know I might not be good enough, but I couldn’t feel easy with my conscience if I didn’t give it a try at least.” 

Moody gave him a look of approval. “Nothing silly about that, lad. If more people put duty and morals and looking after others first then our society wouldn’t be in the mess it is now. Right, who else have we got?” 

Harry raised his hand slightly. “I’m Harry Potter, Gryffindor. As most people know, I’m pretty vulnerable to the effects of the Dementors. I feel the same as Tracy, it gives them a power over me that they’ve got no right to have. I want to take that away from them.” 

Moody nodded. “Self-defence and protection, that’s good. You keep remembering that, Potter. Right, that just leaves you,” he said. He turned to the student sitting next to Harry, who looked really embarrassed for some reason. 

“Okay. I’m Marcus Belby, also a Ravenclaw. Err, do you really have to know why I’m here, Professor?” 

Moody scowled at him ferociously. “Got something to hide have you, lad?” 

“No Sir, it’s just… I’d rather not say, that’s all.” 

“You’re here with seven others who’ve spoken honestly about their reasons for studying this spell. If you can’t do the same then you’re no use to me.” 

“Alright,” Marcus said reluctantly. “I signed up for this class because there’s a girl I want to impress and I think she’d find it really cool if I could produce a Patronus.” Most of the others grinned, and Hermione giggled nervously. 

“Cool,” Moody repeated, making it sound like a dirty word. Marcus visibly wilted. Moody stared at him, his artificial eye spinning madly and his face twisting into an expression of contempt. “So, you’re in it for yourself, are you?” 

“I was,” he replied earnestly, “but to be honest, I feel a bit bad about that now. I mean, I do totally like this girl and all, but listening to what everyone else said, it really made me think. Maybe it would be a good thing to learn the Patronus so that I could protect other people. I hadn’t given that a thought before but it makes sense. And that thing Herbert said about duty – that feels right as well.” 

Moody looked at him for a long moment, then gave him a nod. “Fair enough.” Marcus sighed with relief. “Well then, now I know why you’re all here. You might be wondering why I needed to know. The answer’s simple; if you don’t have the drive to succeed then I’m wasting my time teaching you. This is an optional class, and you can walk away any time you want to. At some point you’ll all think about doing just that, I expect – and I need to know that you’ve got something important in mind, to help you keep going even when it gets tough. Any questions before we start?” 

David Urquhart put up his hand. “Roughly how long will it take us to learn the Patronus Charm, Mr. Moody?” 

“Don’t expect a quick result,” Moody warned him. “You’ll be here with me once a week and we’ll see how you go. It’s a tiring spell to cast so I don’t want any of you trying it outside of this class, because you need to be supervised. Anyone else got questions? No? Fine. Your lessons are going to be in two stages. First stage, you’ll work on your Patronus in the classroom with me until it’s as good as it can be. If you can produce a Patronus here to a good standard, then for the second stage you’ll be taken to the Ministry to practice on a real Dementor.” He saw their expressions of horror and grinned. “No need to panic, it’ll be under strictly controlled conditions and with aurors present the whole time. The Dementor will be nearby and you’ll feel its effects but it’ll be physically unable to reach you.” 

“But Sir, if we can cast the Patronus Charm then surely we don’t need to go anywhere near a real Dementor, do we?” Michael Corner asked anxiously. 

“You think it’s the same, being here in a nice cosy classroom and being outside with a terrifying Dementor in front of you?” Moody roared at him. “Of course it isn’t! You’ve got to be able to use that spell when it really counts, and how will you know you can unless you try it against a Dementor? But that won’t be for a while yet, and none of you moves to stage two until I’m sure that you’re ready, so put it out of your mind for now. Now, who can tell me what a Patronus is?” 

Predictably, Hermione put up her hand. “It’s a kind of magical guardian, Sir. It’s made up of positive feelings and it acts as a barrier to stop the Dementors feeding on our emotions and memories.” 

“That’s it. A Dementor is a dark creature which can drain a person of all hope and happiness, and suck up any positive memories and feelings. You’re right to want to protect yourself from such monsters. Now, a Patronus can be incorporeal – usually looking like a mist or cloud – or corporeal, where it takes the form of a creature of some kind. That’s the hardest type of Patronus to cast. Stand up and wands out!” 

The class got to their feet nervously. “Right, the incantation for this spell is _Expecto Patronum._ When you say it, you have to be thinking of a really happy and joyful memory, the best one you have. Go ahead, all of you - try it and see what happens.” 

As it turned out, what happened was initially failure. The room was filled with determined cries of _Expecto Patronum!,_ followed by a complete lack of result. People grew tired and frustrated with their own lack of progress, but with Moody’s warnings fresh in their minds, nobody said so. The auror monitored each person carefully, correcting their wand movements and pronunciation. 

“Stop for a few minutes,” Moody said after a while. “Sit down, all of you, and rest.” They were more than willing to comply. “Now, you’ve all had a taste of it so you know what you’re up against.” 

“It’s very tiring,” Pamela Alton said. “I feel like I’ve run to Hogsmeade and back.” 

“And that’s why you can’t overdo the practicing,” Moody said. “It’s going to wear you out while you’re learning. Building up your magical strength is all important.” 

“Mr. Moody, I was wondering if – oh!” 

Hermione stopped mid-sentence and stared as a beautiful, shimmering Patronus in the shape of a lion came whooshing through the wall. The lion opened its mouth, and to everyone’s astonishment it spoke with a man’s voice. “Apologies for disturbing your lesson Alastor, but I wanted to show my group how you can use a Patronus to send messages. Can you send one back, just for the demonstration? Don’t yell at your class, it’s not their fault!” 

Everyone gazed at it with admiration and watched the Patronus in silence as it faded away. 

“You were right Marcus, it is really cool,” Herbert Fleet said fervently. 

“So that’s what a Patronus looks like,” Harry murmured. “It’s amazing.” 

Moody grunted with what Harry thought was amusement. “Should have shown you one at the start, I expect. That’s Dawlish’s Patronus; he’s training a group of fifth years at the moment. Each person’s Patronus takes a different form and it can tell you something about them - maybe what’s important to them, what they’re like or what’s happened to them in the past. Dawlish, for example, he lived in Africa for quite a few years as a child and he spent a lot of time with lions there.” 

“Are you going to send a message back, Sir?” Marcus asked eagerly. 

“I expect I’d better.” He drew his wand. “I can cast a corporeal Patronus but I don’t use one because as you’ve seen, they’re too easily recognised. _Expecto Patronum_!” A large, silvery mist formed and Moody tapped it with his wand. “Message for John Dawlish. Here’s your Patronus back, now stop showing off and get on with the lesson or you’ll spend the next three months in the filing room tidying up old case files without the use of magic. And don’t think I’m joking!” He tapped the Patronus again and it rushed away. 

“It’s good to know what we’re aiming for,” Tracey Davies said. “Is there any way of finding out what form our Patronus creature will take in advance?” 

“No, you’ll have to wait and see,” Moody told her. “And some of you won’t be able to create the corporeal version at all – though you might learn to do that when you’re older. Once you’ve cracked either version then I’ll show you how to send messages with them as well, but don’t forget that they’re not secure; you’ll have no idea who else will be with the person you’re sending it to when the Patronus arrives.” 

“Does the cloud thing work just as well on a Dementor?” Marcus asked. 

“If it’s fully formed then yes, the ‘cloud thing’ will also do the job. Miss. Granger, you were about to ask me a question before.” 

“Yes Sir, I was wondering if I was using the right memory. How do I pick the best one?” 

“You need a single memory and it has to be a really happy one. Nothing more to it. Now, you’ve all rested for a bit so we’ll try again. Each of you, stop when you’re tired out; I don’t want you overdoing it.” With renewed determination, the eight students began attempting the Patronus Charm once more. 

“What memory are you using?” Hermione asked Harry in a low voice. “I’m thinking about my first visit to Diagon Alley.” 

“I’m going with the first time I rode a broomstick, that was a happy moment,” Harry whispered back. “I might try something else, I suppose.” 

Hermione grinned suddenly. “The end of the protest, when everyone was cheering us.” 

“Brilliant,” Harry said. He focused on that memory – which was a really happy one – and attempted to cast the spell. It didn’t work and he was getting tired but he wasn’t willing to give up. 

“YES!” Marcus Belby had managed to produce a small trail of silvery gas from his wand, which disappeared after a few seconds. “Erm, sorry Professor, I was just a bit excited there.” 

“You were the first to do it, so I’m not complaining,” Moody replied evenly. Harry grinned as he saw Hermione grit her teeth in determination and attempt the spell again. 

Ten minutes later, just before Mr. Moody brought the lesson to a halt, Harry finally managed to make some progress as a thin, whispery swirl of silver emerged from his wand. 

“You’ve done it, Harry, well done!” Hermione said. She looked a little annoyed but Harry knew that was just because she hadn’t been as successful. 

“You will too soon,” he reassured her. 

“That’s not bad at all for a first effort,” Moody told him. “Right everyone, let’s end it there. You all worked hard so I hope you’ll choose to come back for lesson two in a week’s time. Don’t take it personally if you didn’t see any results today, like I said this needs perseverance. Dismissed.” 

Harry waited behind when the rest of the students left the room. “I wanted to thank you in person for the letter you sent me, Mr. Moody. It was kind of you to reply.” 

“Made good use of the information I provided, didn’t you?” Moody said with a twisted grin. “Spotted a gap. Using the phoenix was something we didn’t think of. Clever idea, too.” 

“Well maybe, but it didn’t work.” 

“I wouldn’t say that - it got the letter to Black, didn’t it? Anyway, trying something is always better than doing nothing, as long as you minimise the risk. I hope you’re still being careful of yourself, mind. You remember what I told you?” 

“Constant vigilance,” Harry said solemnly. 

“That’s it. You’d better be off now. See you next week.” 

Back in the Gryffindor common room, they told Ron and Neville all about their first training session; both of them had their first Patronus lesson the next day and were keen to know what to expect. Ron pressed Harry to demonstrate what he’d learned but Hermione pointed out frostily that they’d been strictly forbidden from practising the Patronus in between lessons. In any case, Harry knew he was too tired to do it. “You’ll find out tomorrow,” he told Ron. “It was cool, though. Mr. Moody’s a good teacher and hopefully yours will be too.” 

More days passed, and nothing out of the ordinary happened. At their next Potions lesson, Snape made no change to his teaching methods and acted as if their argument had never happened. This was reassuring in a way, but it left Harry uncertain about how to deal with what was a major loose end in his life. In the end he decided not to think about it for now. There continued to be no sign of Black, nor of Sasha the owl who weighed rather heavily on Harry’s conscience at times. He didn’t care to contemplate the fact that Sasha might be dead now because of him and his supposedly bright idea. When that thought surfaced, he would shove the prickly feelings of guilt away and try and distract himself. There were other things to think about, after all – quidditch, Christmas, the next Hogsmeade trip. However, it would have been easier to put the whole letter business out of his mind if his friends weren’t so zealous in guarding him day and night - so much so that he was starting to long for some time away from them. 

At their second Patronus lesson the next week, both Hermione and Harry were able to produce a silver, cloudy mist which pleased them both. Although as a spell it was still quite weak, Harry thought that the feeling of making some progress was heady and exciting. Ron and Neville were openly envious of this. Their group was run by an auror called Bentley, who according to them had spent quite a lot of each lesson boasting about all of the dark wizards she’d captured, and then describing in minute detail how her daring and quick thinking had only just saved herself and various unnamed colleagues from a horrible doom. Ron said with distaste that it wasn’t quite as bad as being taught by Professor Lockhart, but not that far off either. On a more positive note, Charlie Weasley sent them an upbeat message to say that Mr. Mancini was fully sympathetic with their wish to save Buckbeak and very willing to help, so they could expect to hear from him soon. This was indeed the case, as a letter arrived from Mr. Mancini in a couple of days to advise them that he’d be present at Buckbeak’s hearing to give them full support. There were also some additional comments which hinted that Mancini was trying to pull some strings in advance of this to influence the committee members. 

Friday night, as usual, was Potions club. Harry and Neville were continuing to work steadily through their enormous list of ‘potions which have failed us in the past through absolutely no fault of our own’. It was one of the busier club sessions and they were both enjoying the chatty atmosphere, but then the cauldron of the Hufflepuff first-year pair next to them exploded. The first-years themselves were fine, as was Harry, but Neville was hit with most of the failed potion. He immediately fell down and started moaning with pain as his skin went purple and massive lumps appeared all over his face. 

“Ow ow, it really hurts!” 

“We need to get him to the hospital wing right away,” Harry said to Gabriel Truman, who was one of the supervising students. 

“Right, we’ll take him together.” Truman conjured a stretcher and levitated Neville onto it. “Maxine, Stephen – you two take charge here until I get back.” 

“We’re really sorry!” the two Hufflepuffs said. “We must have got something very wrong!” 

Harry repressed his wish to point out that they were stating the highly obvious. “Never mind, everyone makes mistakes. I’m sure Neville will be okay.” 

Harry and Gabriel escorted Neville to the hospital wing and explained what had happened to Madam Pomfrey, who took charge capably and moved him to a bed with screens around it for examination. Harry waited patiently to hear the results, but Gabriel was looking fretful and kept glancing towards the door. 

“Harry, would you be okay staying here on your own if I go back to Potions Club? We really need three supervisors present, with there being so many people brewing this evening.” 

“Oh sure, that’s fine. I’ll come back and clear my bench down later, since we won’t be able to finish our potion tonight.” 

“No need, I’ll get someone to do that for you. See you next week,” he said and walked out quickly. 

Madam Pomfrey came back twenty minutes later. “Nothing to worry about,” she assured him. “Mr. Longbottom is looking much better already. He’s asleep now. I’ve given him a Dreamless Sleep potion and treated his wounds; he’ll be staying overnight and possibly tomorrow night as well, but he’ll be right as rain by the end of the weekend.” 

“That’s great,” Harry said. “Thanks for looking after him.” 

“Well, that is my job,” she said with a smile. “You’d better be off now.” 

“Okay,” he said, and left the room. As he passed through the doors, an exciting and intoxicating thought suddenly passed through his mind. 

_Nobody knew where he was._

Neville was out of it and the other Gryffindors wouldn’t be expecting them back for at least an hour. Usually they walked back to the common room with the other Gryffindor club members, but they were all still brewing their potions. So for once he was unsupervised and he could do anything he wanted with this stolen time – sneak out of the castle maybe, and go flying? It really was tempting; he wanted to do something fun while nobody could stop him. But, but… 

“Constant vigilance,” Harry repeated to himself glumly. It was just the thought of willingly going back to his friends, much as he cared about them – it almost felt like walking into a prison cell and closing the door on himself. 

Harry drifted slowly back to the Gryffindor Tower, with good sense and reckless abandon fighting a constant battle in his mind. Eventually, he decided on a compromise. He’d go back to the common room and stay in the safe zone like a good boy, but if he could avoid the others seeing him then he could sneak up to the dorm and spent an hour chatting to Blaise and Theo without interruption. 

It worked like a charm, as it happened. Harry was able to head into the common room behind a big group of sixth-years and easily slipped up the stairs to the dorm without attracting any attention. He got out his memo, hoping that Blaise would be there. 

**_Hey Blaise, you around? I just got back to the dorm so thought I’d check in._ **

**__**

_Yup. I’m in the common room with Theo but okay to talk. You’re back early from Potions Club._

**__**

**_Yeah, Neville got injured when someone else’s potion blew up and hit him. He’s in the Hospital Wing but he’ll be okay. Madam Pomfrey said he’ll be cured in a day or two._ **

**__**

_Good news. What are his injuries?_

__

**_His skin’s purple and lumpy. He looked a bit like a squashed blackcurrant._ **

_Yuk. Anyone else hurt?_

__

**_No, Neville was the only one. Pity, our potion was going really well._ **

**__**

_I suppose I shouldn’t think it’s ironic that Neville’s been hit by someone else’s exploding potion for once, instead of it being the other way around?_

__

**_You shouldn’t think that. (Though yeah, I see what you mean)._ **

**__**

_I don’t know why the two of you keep going to Potions club anyway, now that actual Potions lessons are working out so well. Aren’t they enough?_

__

**_We kind of like it. The other people there are friendly and they run demonstrations each week which are really good. Anyway, we’ve messed up so many potions in the past that there are loads to re-do._ **

**__**

_Well, if you must be so studious then I suppose there are worse things to work at. When are you and Neville going to duel with Theo and I again? I haven’t been able to humiliate you in battle for over two weeks. I’m missing the thrill of overwhelming victory against a much inferior opponent._

__

Harry grinned and was trying to think of a witty reply when he heard a muffled thump outside 

**_Hang on, I think someone’s at the door. Back in a min._ **

He opened the door and was surprised to see Hermione’s cat outside. Crookshanks was carrying a small parcel; it was wrapped in string that had been tied into a bow at the end for the cat to grip in his mouth. The parcel had Ron’s name written on it. 

“Hi Crookshanks,” Harry said. He closed the door behind him, not wanting to give the cat any chance to get in and go after Scabbers. “Someone been using you as a messenger cat, eh? Bit lazy of them. Want me to take that for you? I can put it on Ron’s bed for him when he gets back.” Crookshanks mewed and put the parcel down in front of Harry, watching him intently. 

“Okay,” Harry said. He stooped down to pick up the parcel. As soon as his fingers touched it, he was torn away, roaring down some kind of tunnel, being pulled this way and that at frightening spend, and wanting to scream but unable to. But when it finally stopped he was somewhere else, and instead of the warmth of the Gryffindor Tower there was only cold, darkness and roaring wind. Harry felt sick and disoriented. He stumbled, tripping over a rock and - too confused to balance himself properly - he keeled over and hit the hard stone floor, instantly knocking himself out. 

Sirius Black jumped up eagerly. He crouched down next to Harry and looked at the unconscious boy. Slowly, he reached out and put his hands around Harry’s neck. 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: this is quite a long chapter, but I wanted to keep going until Sirius could finally make his move. He’s got plans for Harry which aren’t very nice, as we’ll see next time! I think the next chapter will be the last one, or there might be another one if I need to tie up a few plot points.


	18. Bring to the table

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All rights to the Harry Potter universe belong to JK Rowling. I don’t own Harry Potter.
> 
> A/N: Hi, thanks to everyone who’s reading this story, and for your comments and kudos which are much appreciated.

_If the project leader is subjected to a personal attack by outside forces then the situation quickly becomes beyond the scope of the original project team. Outside help will be needed when things go wrong, or the damage could be severe._

Blaise didn’t notice immediately that Harry was no longer taking part in their memo conversation because Millicent Bulstrode stopped by at that point to ask a few questions about their Astronomy homework. As Blaise was regarded as one of the best Slytherin astronomers, and as Millicent counted this as her worst subject by far, he had to focus all of his attention on helping her out. It was only after she left them fifteen minutes later that Blaise remembered his discussion with Harry. He checked the memo but there were no new messages since Harry’s last comment. 

“Harry seems to be having a long talk with whoever showed up at his dorm,” he remarked to Theo, frowning with puzzlement. “He hasn’t written anything back after that.” 

“I suppose he might have had to go back to the common room for something,” Theo said casually. 

“Yes, I suppose…” But Blaise was starting to feel uneasy. Of course Harry would be fine; probably he’d just been interrupted because Ron or Hermione wanted to lecture him about something, or they needed him to decide which of them was right about whatever topic they were currently arguing about. So, Harry would be back soon – he just needed to wait a few minutes more. 

_Harry, are you still there? We can chat later if you’re busy, just let me know._

__

_Harry – are you okay?_

__

_HARRY, THIS IS NOT FUNNY. SEND ME A REPLY! NOW!_

__

Blaise looked across at Theo. “Still nothing. I don’t like this.” 

His friend wasn’t that concerned. “He’s probably just busy with something. No need to panic.” 

“I might take that view myself, if it wasn’t for the fact that an unhinged murderer wants to kill him…” 

“He’s in the dorm, Blaise. There’s a spell in place to stop Black from getting in there, you know that. You’re becoming as overprotective as Percy and Neville combined.” Theo was grinning, teasing him, but Blaise couldn’t find it amusing. His nervousness about the situation was building; after all, Harry had never walked off in the middle of one of their chats before. 

“I’m going to see Professor Snape about this,” he decided. “Coming?” 

“He won’t be pleased at you making a fuss over nothing,” Theo warned him, but he got up anyway and went with Blaise to Snape’s office. 

Blaise was highly relieved to find that the Potions Master was still at his desk. “I apologise for disturbing you so late Sir, but I’m a bit concerned about Harry Potter. I was wondering if you could check that he’s okay?” 

“What makes you think he might not be?” Snape asked, instantly becoming more alert. 

“I was messaging him, Sir – I gave him a memo a while back and we chat sometimes in the evening. He was in the dorm, then he said someone was at the door and he’d be back in a minute, but that was twenty minutes ago.” 

“You’ve tried to contact him since then?” 

“Yes, but he’s not come back to me. Sorry, Theo thinks I’m fussing over nothing, but—” 

“There is no need to apologise Mr. Zabini; you did the right thing in coming to me.” Snape opened his desk drawer and took out a piece of parchment. He laid his wand on it and muttered a spell; the parchment immediately turned red. Snape looked horrified. “There is nothing. Nothing at all! We must go to the Headmaster’s office right away. We’ll use the floo.” 

“Is Harry alright?” Blaise asked nervously. 

“Quite possibly not,” Snape said tersely. “We must act immediately. Come now, follow me.” 

A moment later, the three of them were with the Headmaster in his office. “Headmaster, we have an urgent situation,” Snape said. “Mr. Zabini here was exchanging written messages with Mr. Potter a short time ago, when Mr. Potter apparently heard someone at the door of his dorm. Since then he has not been in touch and the tracking parchment shows no sign of him.” 

Dumbledore stared at the red paper with shock. “Was Harry alone in the dorm, Mr. Zabini?” 

“I think so,” Blaise replied worriedly. “He told me he’d come back early from Potions Club because Neville Longbottom was injured and Harry had to take him to the Hospital Wing.” 

The Headmaster nodded grimly. He summoned Professors McGonagall and Flitwick to join them, explaining the situation quickly when they arrived. 

“All of those safety precautions we put in place and Black has just walked right through them!” Professor McGonagall stormed. “Albus, we have to call the Aurors.” 

“Not yet, Minerva. There could still be some innocent explanation, though I confess I cannot think of one offhand. Let us go to the Gryffindor Tower and make enquiries.” 

The six of them rushed through the corridors to the Gryffindor common room. Blaise and Theo glanced at each other, well aware that their fairly secret friendship with Harry Potter was about to become public knowledge. The Gryffindor students immediately fell silent as their arrival was noticed. 

“Good evening to you all,” the Headmaster said. “I apologise for the intrusion but there is an urgent matter which has arisen. I need to establish the current location of Harry Potter immediately. Does anyone know where he is?” 

“He’s gone to Potions Club, Sir,” Hermione told him. 

“On the contrary, I understand that he left there early and returned to the dorm some time ago. He has been in touch with Mr. Zabini here but the conversation ceased abruptly. Mr. Weasley, could you please go and check your room for him?” 

“Yes, sure,” Ron said, and ran up the stairs quickly. 

“Has something happened to Harry?” Percy asked anxiously. “Is he hurt?” 

“I cannot tell you, Mr. Weasley, but I would very much like to be reassured as to his safety.” 

Ron came tearing back after a couple of minutes, looking worried. “Harry’s not there! He has been back because his bag’s there and his memo is on the bed, and I found this outside the door of our room.” He held up a quill. “I know it’s his because Harry spilled some ink on it the other day and it made a little shape like a snitch on it, I remember him showing me. He wouldn’t have just left this. Something bad must have happened, to make him drop it!” 

“I will check for magical signatures in that location,” the headmaster said quickly. “If you can take me to your dorm then we can begin to investigate. We will find out what’s happened, I assure you. Minerva, please come with me. Filius, I would like you to go to the Hospital Wing and learn what you can about Mr. Potter’s movements this evening from Mr. Longbottom and Madam Pomfrey. Severus, please go to Potions Club and do the same.” 

The four Professors went their separate ways quickly, leaving Blaise and Theo standing awkwardly on their own in the middle of the common room with most of the Gryffindors staring at them suspiciously and muttering somewhat hostile comments. Even Blaise, who rarely felt anything but self-confident, was rather intimidated by the situation. He was distinctly relieved when Hermione and Percy came over to them. 

“Are you sure that Harry returned to the dorm, Blaise? I didn’t notice him come in. He might be fine, mightn’t he?” Hermione said anxiously. 

“I hope so. All I know is that he told me he’d come back, which I assume is the case because nobody else but Harry can use that memo. I went to Professor Snape because I was getting worried after he stopped replying.” 

“I’m glad you did,” Percy commented fervently. He lowered his voice. “Did he activate the tracking devices?” 

“Yes, but none of them are working,” Blaise said with frustration. 

“None of them?” Hermione looked horrified. “But then Black might have… I mean, would they still work if Harry had been— " 

“Yes they would - at least the objects still would, I’m not sure about the potion. But there’s no reason to suppose yet that he’s been hurt,” Theo told her firmly. 

“Mr. Nott is right,” Percy said, trying to sound comforting although he was distinctly worried himself. “The Headmaster said that he’d find out the truth so now we just have to wait. Everyone else, go back to what you were doing!” Percy said sharply to the other Gryffindors, who were openly listening in. They stayed where they were, despite his best efforts to glare them into submission. He couldn’t really blame them. 

Professors Snape and Flitwick returned in a few minutes, looking grave. The Headmaster and Professor McGonagall joined them shortly afterwards. They conferred quietly together for a few moments while the students watched and waited. 

“I know you will all be worried about Mr. Potter’s whereabouts,” the Headmaster said, turning back to them. “I will not hide from you that I have serious concerns about him. We have now confirmed that he did leave Potions Club earlier than usual after Mr. Longbottom sustained a slight injury, and Mr. Potter was then alone after escorting him to the Hospital Wing. He did not tell Madam Pomfrey where he was going, but outside his dorm I have detected a residue of magical energy which indicates that a portkey was used in that location recently. I would ask you all to remain here, except for Mr. Potter’s friends who should come with me. We will take all necessary action to find and retrieve him as soon as we can.” 

“Can we do anything to help?” Dean Thomas asked. “I mean, anything at all?” 

“Thank you, Mr. Thomas, but this is a matter for the Ministry. We will let you know as soon as we have news.” 

They returned to the Headmaster’s office, this time with Hermione and Percy joining them. Blaise had a rising feeling of doom which he couldn’t suppress and the others looked as if they were about to cry at any moment. 

“What will the Ministry be able to do, Albus?” Professor Flitwick asked. “They’ve been looking for Black for months and got nowhere!” 

“In truth I don’t know, but they must be told about this, and soon. However, I fear what will happen when they find out. They could send the Dementors out across country to look for them, and Merlin help any unfortunate soul they come across along the way!” 

“I said this was a mistake, right from the start!” Professor McGonagall snapped at him. “You should have left it alone, Albus, and not provoked Black by sending him that stupid letter!” 

“Believe me Minerva, you cannot make me feel any worse about this than I already do,” he said sombrely. “However, recriminations must wait; we have to decide what to do next.” 

“I’ll tell you exactly what we’ll do next,” Professor Snape replied. “We know that the tracking devices aren’t detecting any trace of Mr. Potter, which means that they are either all destroyed or under some form of magical suppression. If it’s the former then there’s no obvious way forward, but if it’s the latter - and if Mr. Potter was wearing the necklace I gave him when he was taken - then it was protected against such interference. Now, that necklace only has a tracking limit of ten miles as you know, but if we can get to within that distance then we could identify his exact location and fly to him quickly on broomsticks. I will take Professor Flitwick with me and we will apparate to various locations across the country and see if we can find a trace at each point. It’s a slim chance, but one worth taking. I have everything ready in my quarters for such a search; we can be gone within five minutes. As soon as we’re away then you can raise the alarm at the Ministry. Tell them that we’re looking for Mr. Potter if you like - it won’t make any difference by then.” 

“Very well Severus, but I think you should also take Professor Lupin with you,” Dumbledore said. “He could be useful.” 

Snape’s face contorted slightly. “Better that he remain here and defend the school, I think.” 

“I would rather you allow him to accompany you, Severus. He has knowledge which could be of service to you.” 

“Headmaster, we need to do something now!” Hermione shouted. “We can’t wait any longer!” 

Snape nodded. “That is true. I’ll go to my quarters through your floo, Headmaster, and gather my things. While I’m gone, I suggest you summon Lupin – there is something which I need to check with him before we make a decision on this.” 

“Very well, Severus,” the Headmaster said. 

A few minutes later, Snape had returned with a couple of broomsticks, a map of Britain and cloaks for himself and Professor Flitwick. Professor Lupin had also arrived and was quickly advised of what had happened. Snape drew his wand and cast a strong privacy charm to enclose himself, the Headmaster and Lupin. 

“Lupin, the Headmaster has asked me to take you with us on our search for Sirius Black,” Snape said, staring at the other man intently. “We’re going after a very dangerous man and I’m sure you are aware that I don’t trust you, so I’m reluctant to do that. However, I’ll give you a chance to prove me wrong. I have one question for you. If you answer it correctly then I’ll apologise for my unwarranted suspicions and gladly take you with us, agreed?” 

Lupin sighed. “As you wish, Severus. What is the question?” 

“Are you concealing any knowledge about Sirius Black which could potentially be used to locate or capture him?” 

“I’m not sure what you’re referring to,” Lupin said evasively. 

“Do you know anything important at all about Black that isn’t public knowledge – any secret spells or magical abilities that he has, any potential allies that he could have gone to for help, any favourite locations that he could be hiding out in? Are you willingly concealing any such information?” 

“I don’t have to tell you anything,” he blustered. “The Headmaster has assured me that I have his full confidence.” 

“And you do, Remus, which is why I think you should answer the question,” Dumbledore said quietly. 

Lupin’s face was pasty-white. “I have nothing to say,” he muttered. The other two men stared at him with dawning contempt. 

“You were right, Severus,” Dumbledore said after a few moments, with a hard edge to his voice, “I think Professor Lupin should remain at the school. It’s time for you and Filius to leave.” 

Snape nodded and removed the privacy charm. “I suggest we floo to Diagon Alley first; we can check virtually all of London at once from there,” he said to Flitwick. 

“Good idea,” Filius replied. “No point in going to Hogsmeade first, he must be further away than there already or we could track him from this room.” 

“Take care, both of you, and come back safely,” the Headmaster said. “I don’t want to lose either of you. I will send you a Patronus if we have any news here, and you please do the same.” 

Snape gave him a brief nod, then he and Flitwick disappeared into the fire without a single glance at the uncomfortable-looking Professor Lupin. 

The students watched in nervous silence as the Headmaster floo-called the Ministry. The room was quickly filled with Aurors, followed soon after by a horrified Minister Fudge. A tense conversation then took place, with the Headmaster asking for any help the Ministry could provide while also imploring them to use Aurors for the search instead of Dementors. This was not an easy sell, but eventually the Minister reluctantly agreed to keep the Dementors where they were. Dumbledore explained that Snape and Flitwick were out looking for Harry, but that apparently nobody else in the school had any idea where to find him. After saying this he glanced pointedly at Professor Lupin, who said nothing. 

The Aurors split into two groups. One group went to examine Harry’s dorm while the other one stayed in the room and asked rapid-fire questions of everyone involved. Blaise was nervous when it was his turn to be spoken to, especially as the aurors questioning him seemed to treat everything he said with scepticism and suspicion. He felt vulnerable without Professor Snape to protect him, and he was worried that before too long he’d be asked to accompany them to the Ministry to ‘verify his statement’ or something equally unpleasant. But thankfully, the Gryffindors came to his assistance. Percy pointed out that that without his early sounding of the alarm they still wouldn’t be aware of what had happened, while Ron and Hermione said what a good friend he’d been to Harry this term and how well they got on together. The aurors nodded glumly and moved on to the next person, after which Blaise gave the others a look of sincere gratitude. 

Theo, who was carefully watching events unfold while simultaneously trying to fade into the background, couldn’t help but notice how nervous Professor Lupin was. The man knew something, that much was obvious. Was he Black’s accomplice after all? He glanced across at Blaise inquiringly. 

“We’ll have to leave him to Dumbledore to deal with,” Blaise whispered to him. Theo reluctantly nodded back. 

Once the aurors had heard their stories and had no further questions for them, the Headmaster released all of the students to return to their common room, with the promise that they would be advised as soon as news was received. 

“You’ll wake us up if necessary, won’t you?” Ron said insistently. “If you find out something, I mean. I don’t care what time it is, I want to know as soon as we have news about Harry.” 

“I promise that you’ll be told immediately. Go and rest now, as best you can.” 

“ _Rest_!” Ron said bitterly, as soon as the door of the Headmaster’s office had closed behind them. “Harry’s out there having Merlin knows what done to him by Sirius Black and we’re supposed to rest!” 

“I couldn’t sleep a wink,” Hermione declared fretfully, “not until I know that Harry’s okay.” 

“All of those spells and traps and protections,” Blaise said bitterly, “and all of those ‘what if’ and ‘just in case’ and ‘stay alert’ and ‘don’t leave him alone’ instructions, and _everything_ we did, everything, to protect Harry… and still, it was all for nothing. Black got past our defences just like that and took him. I HATE that!” 

“We’ll make him pay for what he’s done,” Ron said fiercely. “We’ll get Harry back and we’ll make him pay.” 

“Yes,” Blaise agreed, though his heart was heavy. “Thank you all for your help in there, by the way. Those aurors were… a little intimidating.” 

“Well, Harry would have wanted us to,” Ron said awkwardly. 

“I wish there’s something we could do,” Theo commented. “I’m not keen on being helpless when there’s trouble.” 

“There’s nothing to do but wait,” Percy said heavily. “Mr. Zabini, Mr. Nott – I suggest you don’t say too much about this in the Slytherin common room.” 

Blaise rolled his eyes. “There’s really no point in discretion. Everyone will find out about it by morning at the latest; you know how gossipy this place is.” 

“As long as they don’t find out from you, that’s all.” 

Theo stepped forward. “Look, if it would help Harry for us to say nothing then of course we would, but it won’t. The entire Gryffindor common room now knows that we’re friends with Harry Potter, so we need to go and make that fact clear to the Slytherins as well; it’s better that they hear it from us than from someone else.” 

“You won’t get into trouble, will you?” Hermione asked. “Harry was a bit worried that you might, with Malfoy and so on.” 

“This will make waves, but we know how to handle the situation,” Blaise told her. “We’ve been preparing for this. We’ll see you tomorrow, and hopefully there will be good news to celebrate.” 

Hermione nodded uncertainly. “Good luck, then.” 

“Wish that for Harry instead,” Blaise replied, as he waved goodbye and walked back to the Slytherin common room with Theo. 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

As soon as Severus emerged from the floo into Diagon Alley, he consulted the tracking parchment. It was still red. “Nothing,” he said to Filius in disgust. He touched the map with his wand. A red dot appeared to show their current location, with a light red circle around it indicating the limit of their tracking spell from that point in each direction. 

“Well, that rules out most of central London,” he replied regretfully. “Where next?” 

“We need to be methodical, Filius, and try and cover as much of the country as we can. We can either work our way north or return to Scotland and start from there.” 

“I suggest we begin here, Severus. We’ve nothing to indicate that any location is the better one. Why, we don’t even know for sure that they’re still in Britain!” 

“Very well. We’d better take anti-nausea Potions first, I think.” After they had done so, Snape held out his hand. “I know a location about eight miles from here. Take my arm, and we’ll begin.” 

Methodically, they began the tedious process of moving from one spot to another. One of them would apparate to a location that they knew, taking the other with them using side-along apparition. Then they would check the tracking parchment, which remained stubbornly red. Since they were only able to apparate to locations which one of them had been to before, their coverage of the country soon became patchy. Some of their tracking circles heavily overlapped, which Severus saw as a detestable (but unavoidable) waste of their time. As well as this, there were areas of unchecked land on the map between the circles which they had no choice but to fly to, using Disillusionment Charms to keep themselves unnoticed by the muggles below. It was tiring work, and their frustration and worry grew as they found no trace of Harry’s whereabouts. It also became necessary to make stressful decisions along the way; there were many islands off the coast of Britain, and checking all of them was nigh on impossible. They’d had to decide whether to get close enough to look for a trace on each island or not, taking into account the time it would take to reach them; yes to the Isle of Wight and Skomer but no to the Scilly Isles and the Channel Islands, and so on. There was no way to know whether any of these decisions represented a disastrous mistake. 

Carrying out so many apparitions in such a short time soon started to have an effect on their bodies. After an hour or so they both felt sick and dizzy, and Severus had the beginnings of a massive headache. As they landed in a dark, empty field a few miles away from Coventry, Filius swayed slightly. “I need to rest, Severus, just for a few minutes.” 

Severus cast a quick _Lumos_ and saw how pale his colleague was. “Of course.” He conjured a bench and a warming lantern, and they both sat down. “Here, drink these; some more Anti-nausea potion should help, and some Stabilising Potion also. And here, I have a flask of hot tea.” 

“Thank you.” They sat in silence for a few minutes. “That does feel better, Severus.” 

“Are you sure that you want to continue? I can go on alone if necessary.” 

“I’ll be fine to restart the search in a few minutes, don’t worry,” Filius assured him. 

“Alright. I’m sorry that there’s no word yet from Albus. I’d hoped that by now, they would have found something.” 

Filius sighed. “I intend to hope for the best, but it’s true that Black has out-smarted us at every turn. Severus – tell me, what happened with Professor Lupin when you spoke to him in the Headmaster’s office? Why isn’t he with us now?” 

Snape’s mouth twisted. “I asked Lupin to give me his word that he wasn’t concealing any information which we could use to locate or capture Black. He refused to do so.” 

Filius’s expression became stern. “If it should turn out that any harm comes to Harry Potter because of that man’s actions then we will make him suffer for it, Severus. You and I, we’ll do what’s necessary between us.” 

“I quite agree,” he replied venomously. “And even if we recover Mr. Potter safe and well, I think that there should still be consequences for Lupin. Any Professor who doesn’t put the safety of the students first has no place teaching in our school.” 

“We’re on the same page with this, I think. Now, shall we continue? I’m ready.” 

“Fine, but we’ll stop again as soon as you need us to. I see another apparition point six miles away. We can head west from there and cover Central and North Wales.” 

He flicked his wand to remove the bench and the lantern, before apparating them both away into the night. 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

When Harry recovered consciousness, he moaned with pain. His head was aching and he felt something sticking to his face, which he realised from the smell was dried blood. He was lying on a stone floor. He tried to reach out to stand up but he discovered that his hands were tightly bound with a thick twine, as were his feet. 

“Good, you’re finally awake,” a rough voice said from behind him. He jumped and turned round to see Sirius Black looking down at him, a rather cruel smile on his face. Black was a terrifying sight. He wore ragged clothes, his hair was matted and rough and he looked completely unhinged, making Harry shrink back with fear. “Took you long enough. I checked you over when you arrived – I’ve no medical training but I found a pulse and your heart was still beating so that seemed good enough.” 

“Let me go, Black,” Harry demanded, putting on a confidence which he definitely didn’t feel. 

Sirius laughed heartily. “Do you really think I’m going to do that, after all of the trouble it took to get you here?” 

Harry stared around him, trying to keep his rising panic under control. They seemed to be in some kind of cave. It had glittering black walls and the only light came from a nearby fire which Black had built on a flat rock. It was so dark that Harry couldn’t see where the entrance was. 

“Where am I?” 

“It’s an old Black family cave system,” he replied, smiling at Harry in a terrifying way. “We’ve owned this place for centuries. There are muggle caves in the area but the muggles don’t know about this one. It was once used by my illustrious ancestors for dark magic rituals, but then something went very badly wrong…” 

Harry was trying to decide what to ask next when he heard an insistent hoot, and an owl with a long piece of twine tied to his leg flew to land on his lap. “Sasha! I’m so glad to see that you’re okay!” 

“Oh, your owl’s just fine, Harry – at least for now.” 

“Don’t hurt him, he’s done nothing wrong!” 

Black strolled casually over and sit down on a nearby rock. “You seem to be under the impression that you can give me orders, Harry. In case you haven’t noticed, you’re the prisoner now - not me.” 

“They’ll find me,” Harry said nervously, “they’ll work out where I am.” 

“Like they found the owl? I bet they’ve been looking for him too. Don’t waste my time with lies, Harry. This whole cave represses magical energy, it has done ever since half a dozen of my ancestors bungled whatever nasty ritual they were conducting here two centuries ago and blew themselves up in the process. No magic works here, which is why I brought you inside as soon as you arrived. There are all sorts of locating spells on you, I expect, but they won’t work while you’re within this cave.” 

Harry realised that Black must be telling the truth; it explained why they’d been unable to locate Sasha. But hadn’t Professor Snape said something about one of the tracking objects being able to work even through magical barriers? If so, then maybe, if he could just stay alive long enough… but he needed information; he needed to know what he was up against. 

“You could have killed me when I got here, but you didn’t. That means you want something from me.” 

“True,” Black said with a cruel smile. “I was working on a plan to get back into Hogwarts again when your letter arrived. That made me reconsider my ideas; I decided that it might be more productive to bring you here instead, and less risky for me as well. By the way, some of the words you used in that letter really were rather rude – tut tut, I’m sure your Professors wouldn’t approve of such language.” 

“How did you get me out of Hogwarts?” 

He laughed again, harsh and grating. “Illegal portkey. Simple plan, but it worked. The cat was told to wait until you were alone and then take the parcel to you. I wrote someone else’s name on it because I thought then you’d be more likely to pick it up. And yes, that’s just what you did.” 

Harry wanted to scream with frustration at being so easily caught out. “Did you put a spell on Crookshanks to make him help you?” 

“Is that the cat’s name? No, he chose to work with me all on his own. A very intelligent creature, that cat.” 

“You’re lying,” Harry said fiercely. “Hermione’s cat would never betray one of her friends.” 

Black smirked at him. “You really know nothing about what’s going on, do you Harry?” 

“I know you’re a murdering git who deserves to die because of what you did to my parents,” Harry spat at him. 

Black seemed unmoved. “As I said, you know nothing. I’m not a murderer, Harry – but I will be, very soon. Yes, very soon now… and you’re going to help me.” 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

Filius and Severus were tired, cold and feeling generally awful. They were still working their way up the country, but after several dozen apparitions they had only got as far north as Nottingham. There was a long way to go until the border with Scotland, which in itself would take an age to check, with all of those Scottish islands – and they’d have to move on to Northern Ireland too, and possibly into Ireland as well… it seemed like an impossible task, but a stubborn reluctance to give in kept them going. 

“Another rest,” Severus said firmly. He had started insisting upon these after every tenth apparition. Filius had protested at first, even though he sorely needed some recovery time, but Severus had pointed out that if they didn’t stay in the one spot for at least five minutes then any Patronus sent by the Headmaster would have no chance of locating them. This was logical, but they waited in vain for a message to reach them at each rest stop. The only small consolation was that so far their search had not brought them into contact with any Dementors or Aurors. 

“Mr. Potter and I had a quarrel, the last time we spoke,” Severus commented after a few minutes. “I would not like to remember that as the last conversation we ever had.” 

Filius patted his arm. “No need to think the worst yet, my friend.” 

Severus smiled tiredly. Despite his worries, it warmed him to hear that the man sitting next to him called him ‘friend’ - he had not had one of those since Lily. “As you say.” 

They began their search again five minutes later, tracking across the country wearily. The journey had developed a rhythm of its own which they had both started to loathe. They landed in a location, checked for a tracking signal and found none. They noted their location on the map, which was by now covered in red circles at the bottom half. They checked for the next apparition point and made their way to it. And so on, and so on… until their luck changed and the parchment finally, amazingly, turned green. 

“We have a signal!” Severus said triumphantly. “At last we’re getting somewhere!” 

“Thank Merlin for that!” Filius agreed with excitement. “How far away is it?” 

Severus tapped the parchment with his wand and a faint pulsing arrow pointed due north appeared. “Looks like around nine or ten miles away – at the far edge of this location’s tracking range. We have no closer apparition point than this one so I suggest we make our way there by broomstick.” 

“Should we send a message to the Headmaster first?” 

Severus mulled this over. “I don’t want to raise false hopes, Filius. We have tracked the location of the necklace only, don’t forget; Mr. Potter may not be with it any longer.” 

“True, but consider this – if Black is somehow able to overpower us when we arrive then nobody will know where to look for us. If we tell the Headmaster where we’re headed then even if we fail, others might be able to succeed if they know where to go.” 

“You have a point, Filius. _Expecto Patronum!_ ” He tapped the doe with his wand. “Message for Albus Dumbledore. We are two miles due east of Mansfield town centre and we have picked up a signal from the necklace, originating about nine or ten miles to the north of us. We will fly there now and investigate. Please await our next message and take no action for now, until either we provide a further update or you have not heard from us for thirty minutes. We intend to make a cautious approach and sneak up on Black undetected if we can. Message ends.” 

As the Patronus swooshed away, they mounted their brooms and flew northwards, their exhaustion temporarily forgotten. The sky above them was clear but they reapplied their Disillusionment Charms and added Silencing Charms to help mask themselves. The arrow on the parchment became darker and larger as they flew, still continuing to point north. When they were within a quarter of a mile of the signal’s origin point, they stopped to reconnoitre. They were in open countryside with no houses or buildings nearby. Ahead, they could see hills and trees but no people and no sign of life. It seemed totally empty, but all of Snape’s spying instincts told him that they had come to the right place. He put the parchment away. 

“Let us scan for curses or other active spells,” Severus said in a low voice. 

“Faint traces of magic straight ahead,” Filius whispered. “Old magic, seems to have faded over time… muggle repelling spells and anti-theft spells - I’m getting both of those.” 

“Agreed, but that seems to be it,” Severus said. “Nothing deadly that I can detect. I think we’re safe to proceed, but carefully.” 

They flew at a much slower pace, studying the landscape intently. After some time outside, their eyes were accustomed to the dark but it was difficult to see where they were aiming for, all of the same. 

“Look down and to the right,” Severus said. “The dark spot in the hill – I think that must be the entrance to a cave of some kind. If they’re inside, that would explain why we can’t see anyone. There may be traps, however.” They drew closer and saw that there was indeed an entrance of some sort, inky black and forbidding. 

“Let’s mark this place, so that the Headmaster knows where we are,” Filius said quietly. He dropped to the floor and carved a rune into a nearby rock. “That should do it.” 

“I’m not detecting any magic inside. If there are traps, Black has certainly concealed them well. Ready?” Snape whispered. 

Filius took a glance into the blackness. “Ready,” he said calmly. The two of them walked slowly into the shadowy cave. 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I have finished this chapter on another (attempted) cliffhanger, since telling the tale of this whole evening is taking longer than anticipated. In our next chapter: one character realises how mistaken their assumptions were, one character decides how much dark magic they are willing to use to get what they want and one character suffers a life-threatening injury. See you next time for yet more danger!


	19. Test the water

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All rights to the Harry Potter universe belong to JK Rowling. I don’t own Harry Potter.
> 
> A/N: Thanks for all of the comments and for reading my story.

_There may be instances where the whole aim of a project comes into question, especially where completely unexpected facts come to light without warning. In a worst-case scenario, a project manager will need to question whether the project still has any value, or whether it needs to be abandoned entirely._

Harry stared at Sirius Black in disbelief. “You want me to help you kill someone? I’d never do that!” 

“Oh, but I don’t intend to give you a choice, Harry. No, I don’t have that luxury. I’m going to _make_ you do what I want – the only question is which spell to use. I’m still thinking about it. I could go with the Confundus, but that does have limitations. It really might have to be the Imperius...” 

Harry didn’t know what either of those spells were and he didn’t want to find out. He did his best to stay calm while Sasha the owl, who was still sitting on his legs, hopped closer to him. Harry reached out with his bound hands to stroke Sasha, then his fingers touched the cord strapped to the owl’s leg. There must be an exit from the cave then, and this thin rope was being used to stop Sasha from flying off. If it could be loosened enough to remove it then Sasha might be able to fly back to Hogwarts and get help… but Black was watching him, so Harry made no move for now; he would need to wait for his opportunity. 

“Could you retie these bonds to make them a bit looser? They really are very tight.” 

Sirius snorted with laughter. “So that you can take the chance to get your hands free and attack me? I don’t think so. Nice try though, Harry. It’s what James would have done if this was happening to him.” 

“Don’t you dare say anything about my father,” he hissed. “You shouldn’t even use his name, you monster!” 

“You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that, Harry. Or should I not use your name either?” 

“What you should do is let me go and run, before the Headmaster gets here and kills you.” 

“Oh, even Dumbledore isn’t that powerful,” Black said airily. “You know Harry, I really would have preferred that we were reunited under better circumstances. Still, we are where we are so let’s get down to business, shall we?” 

“What, you mean the murdering business?” 

“That’s right,” Sirius said calmly. “I’d tell you the whole story and ask for your voluntary help but you’d probably just pretend to go along with my plans until you could get away. I would like to just Confund you, but that’s not a powerful enough spell. It has to be the Imperius - even if it does mean that for the first time, I’ll have actually deserved to be in Azkaban. Your father would have understood the need to use it in the circumstances, I’m sure of it.” Harry thought Black sounded like he was trying to convince himself of that fact, and not succeeding very well. 

“Well, I don’t understand. What is the Imperius?” 

“Dark magic,” Black said, a surprising expression of distaste crossing his face. “It’s classed as an Unforgiveable spell by the Ministry. It will allow me to take complete control of you and make you do anything I want.” 

Harry shuddered at the thought. “Don’t make me kill someone, please don’t!” 

“Oh, don’t worry – I wouldn’t want anyone but me to take care of that little job,” Black assured him, smiling wickedly. “All you’ll do is return to Hogwarts, tell them a convincing story of how you barely managed to escape that wicked wizard Sirius Black - and then when the chance arises, you’ll capture him and bring him to me.” 

“Bring who to you?” 

“Peter Pettigrew,” Black hissed, leaning forward and grabbing Harry’s arm. Harry moved back as far as he could, scared of being too close to this man. “You’re wrong about me, Harry. I didn’t betray your parents to Voldemort. I wasn’t their secret keeper at all – Pettigrew was. He told Voldemort where to find them, and he’s the one who killed those muggles in the explosion as well.” 

“That can’t be true. Pettigrew’s dead!” 

“No he isn’t, Harry. No, the little traitor’s been in disguise this whole time, hidden in plain sight as it were. You’ll have seen him plenty of times. He’s with one of your fellow Gryffindors, the Weasley boy – he’s the boy’s pet rat!” 

Harry was completely confused. “You want to kill Ron’s rat? Why, did it bite someone you know and give them a deadly disease or something?” 

Black laughed scornfully. “He’s a wizard animagus, Harry – the rat is Pettigrew’s animal form. We all learned how to become animagi secretly when we were at school. He’s a rat, James was a stag and me, well… do you remember seeing a big dog when you left your relatives’ home in the summer, just before you summoned the Knight Bus?” 

Harry did remember the animal that he’d seen the night he stormed out of the house at Privet Drive, and once again when he was playing quidditch. “The grim,” he whispered. “It was you all along…” 

Black looked smug. “Useful skill, being an animagus that practically no-one knows about. It helped me a lot with sneaking into Hogwarts on Halloween. Nobody was looking for a dog…” 

Harry stared at him, as he remembered the person who hadn’t been mentioned so far. “Practically no-one knows…but Professor Lupin does, right?” 

“Of course. So, Remus is a Professor now? Interesting. What does he teach?” 

“Defence Against the Dark Arts.” 

“Well, he knows a lot about that, especially dark creatures,” Black said, giving him a conspiratorial wink which Harry didn’t understand. “I couldn’t be a part of your life before, what with being in a maximum security prison and all, but I’m glad you had him to look after you. Have you been living with Remus?” 

“No. I’ve only just met him this term when he started teaching and he’s not been that friendly. I don’t know him at all really.” 

Black looked surprised. “I can’t understand that. James and Lily would have expected him to take a major role in bringing you up. I know he wouldn’t be able to look after you at full moon, but apart from that he should have been there for you. It’s wrong of him to stay a stranger to you.” 

“You’re in no position to criticise other people,” Harry snapped, “not when you’re planning to use the Imperius on me!” 

Black came back to him again and crouched at his side. His eyes were filled with fiery, zealous hatred. Harry tried to push himself away, but by now he’d moved back so far that he was pressed against the wall. “I’m not proud of that, but I have to have my revenge, Harry. Pettigrew has to pay for what he’s done to your family, and to me. Can’t you understand that? Don’t you feel it too?” 

“I… I don’t know, maybe, if what you’re saying is true. I wouldn’t want to use an Unforgiveable curse to do it, though – or kill someone.” 

Black gave him a scornful glance. “You look a lot like James but you really don’t act like him. He’d want Peter dead, and he wouldn’t care how we did it either!” 

Harry glared back defiantly. Black got up and went to stand by the fire, staring into the flames. Harry took the chance to reach for Sasha’s leg and start to pull at the knotted twine. It was tightly bound and he struggled to loosen it. 

“I spent twelve years in prison for nothing, Harry. I’m an innocent man. I deserve justice!” 

“Okay, well then, justice is fine. We can give Pettigrew to the Ministry and that will prove your innocence – if Scabbers really is a person, which I’m still not convinced about.” 

“The Ministry will do nothing for me, they never have! I’ve told you the truth now, Harry - you were entitled to that. I wanted you to know why the Imperius is the only way, much as I really do regret it. Now, I’ll have to risk taking you outside for a moment so that I can cast the spell…” 

“No, please don’t,” Harry said desperately. Black ignored him. He pulled a knife out of his pocket and slashed away the rope binding Harry’s legs. 

“I stole a few muggle weapons before bringing you here, just in case…” Quickly he dragged Harry up and pushed him forward while Sasha was thrust sideways, hooting wildly. “Get walking.” 

Harry stumbled forward, his legs moving awkwardly after having his circulation restricted for so long. 

“This is not what my Dad would have wanted,” he insisted. “I know he hated the Dark Arts. If he could be here now, he’d be telling you that this isn’t right.” 

“But he’s not here, and that’s why I’m doing this,” Black said, but Harry could see that he was wavering. 

“Don’t dishonour your best friend by committing this crime in his name, please! We can work something else out between us, can’t we? There must be another way!” 

Black hesitated. “I don’t know… maybe if we—” 

Suddenly, a sharp noise was heard some way ahead of them. Black reacted instantly. He pushed Harry back down to the ground and leaned in to whisper. “Stay where you are and don’t say anything at all or you’ll be in trouble, understood?” Harry nodded fearfully, while the other man moved away and hid himself in the shadows. Sasha flew back to him, and Harry reached quickly for the knotted twine once more. Just a couple of minutes should do it… 

The sounds were low and stealthy, but Harry was now listening intently and he could pick up the noises of movement, coming steadily closer. His heart pounded with excitement and fear. It could be some kind of animal, but he didn’t think so. He desperately wanted to be rescued but whoever was out there wouldn’t know about Black – or his knife. They’d try and use their wands but if Black was telling the truth then those would be useless… 

Harry made up his mind. “It’s a trap!” he screamed. “Black’s got a knife! Magic doesn’t work here!” 

Black swore ferociously and rushed to the other side of the cave, while at the same moment Professor Snape and Professor Flitwick ran in, their wands raised. “Stupefy!” they both yelled, but nothing happened. 

“Snape!” Black said, his face twisting with hatred. “I might have known you’d interfere. Well, you’re wasting your time, the both of you.” He swung around, and Harry was horrified to see that there was a gun in his hands. “Weren’t you listening to the boy? This cave suppresses magical energy. I don’t know how you found us in here - but then you always were a clever one, Snivellus.” 

“Are you alright, Mr. Potter?” Snape asked. 

“Yes, Sir. You both came just in time. Black was planning to cast the Imperius spell on me and make me help him kill someone!” 

“You would do such a despicable thing to a child?” Flitwick asked in disbelief. 

Sirius grimaced. “For a good cause, yes. I was thinking about it, anyway. Might have been reconsidering. I didn’t want to, I really didn’t, but I needed his help. Trouble is, you two arriving as well has messed up my plan. Hands up and drop your wands, both of you.” They complied, watching him warily. Sasha the owl had returned to Harry’s lap, and he was taking advantage of Black’s inattention to steadily pull at the knots tying the owl down. “Did you bring anyone else with you?” 

“We did not,” Snape replied, staring at him with loathing, “more’s the pity.” 

Black considered this. “You might be telling the truth. One easy way to find out – shout for help, the three of you. Let’s see if anyone else comes.” The three of did as they were told, yelling for help as loudly as they could, but no other sounds could be heard once their cries ended and nobody else entered the cave. “Seems like there are just the two of you. Well then, time to improvise, I suppose. Both of you know what this weapon is, I take it?” 

“A muggle gun,” Snape said tensely. “Is it loaded?” 

“Absolutely. You know, it’s really hard to get hold of guns in Britain,” he commented in an absurdly conversational tone. “Most muggles aren’t allowed to own them. I had to apparate into a muggle Police Station to steal this one. Even the muggle Police can’t carry guns often, but they do have them stashed away in case of dangerous situations. I confunded one of the Police officers and they showed me how to work it. I’ve got a knife too, and a couple of other things, so don’t try anything, either of you.” 

“We won’t,” Flitwick said, adopting a soft, persuasive tone. “There’s no need for violence. Surely we can come to a peaceful resolution? Mr. Potter is the son of your old friend, he doesn’t have to be harmed.” 

“I won’t let either of you mess with my plan,” Sirius said, starting to become agitated. “I will have my revenge, no matter what. Trouble is, how am I meant to handle three of you? I’ll have to cut the odds down a bit…” 

“We won’t cause any trouble,” Professor Flitwick said. “Please, let’s discuss this in a civilised way. Perhaps you could explain why you’ve brought Mr. Potter here?” 

Black looked back and forward between the two Professors. “Never mind that. How did you find us?” 

“Mr. Potter is wearing a necklace which can operate even through magical suppression, and we were therefore able to track its signature,” Snape said. “It only has a ten mile range so it took us a while to locate him.” 

“Really?” Black said, his eyes glittering in the light of the flames. “Then I could remove the necklace and take him away, I suppose. Only trouble is, you won’t just have put the one tracking object on him, will you Snivellus?” 

“Don’t call him that!” Harry snapped. “His name is Professor Snape.” 

“So you’re teaching now too, are you, Snape? You and good old Remus together. He’ll always be Snivellus to me anyway Harry, and your father thought it was a brilliant name for him too - he used it all the time.” 

“Well, I’m not my father!” 

“That much is obvious,” Black sneered. “He’d be ashamed of you, if he could see you now. Defending Slytherins, of all things!” 

“Leave him alone,” Snape commanded. “He’s done nothing wrong. Whatever your plan is, it’s obviously not going to work so I suggest you leave us here and go. You can apparate away as soon as you exit this cave, or take one of the broomsticks that we used to get here.” 

“As if you couldn’t track me if I did!” Black scoffed. 

Harry’s eyes stayed on Black as his fingers kept pulling, tearing at the knots. With a rush of relief he felt them finally give, and he ripped the twine off the owl’s leg. “Sasha, go!” he yelled. The owl tore towards the entrance to the cave as rapidly as he could. Black swore again and fired the gun. For such a compact weapon, it made a massive sound as it went off \- but the shot missed its target and Sasha was gone. 

Black looked furious. “Now you’ve gone and done it, Harry! If I can’t—” he broke off in alarm as Sasha suddenly reappeared out of the darkness and soared towards him. The owl went for his face, clawing and scratching at him as hard as he could. “OW! Get off!” Black screamed. 

Snape saw that Black’s attention was taken up with trying to fighting off the owl’s attack so he lunged at him. It came so close to working, but Black saw him coming just in time and fired the gun again. This time his aim was true and Professor Snape cried out with pain as he collapsed, with blood seeping out of the wound in his side. His eyes closed and he passed out. 

“You made me do that, Snape!” Black screamed, still frantically trying to get away from Sasha’s assault. “It’s your own fault!” 

“Stop it, Sasha!” Harry yelled. “I don’t want you to get hurt too. Come here now!” The owl obeyed, looking extremely pleased with himself. 

“Mr. Black, please, we have to get Professor Snape some medical assistance immediately!” Flitwick implored him, kneeling beside his colleague. “I think this is a serious injury, he looks very bad...” 

“That’s his own fault, and anyway he’s not the only one who’s hurt,” Black said sullenly, glaring at Sasha. His face and hands had nasty cuts and he was bleeding in several places. “You let him loose, didn’t you, Harry?” 

“Yes,” he said defiantly. “What are you doing to do about it, shoot me as well?” 

“Don’t tempt me!” Black snapped. “I need time to think, to make a new plan. It’s all going—” 

“INCARCEROUS!” Harry looked up and to his tremendous relief, he saw the Headmaster striding towards them. Astonishingly, the spell worked and Black’s gun fell to the floor as he was bound in thick ropes. 

“You shouldn’t be able to use your wand, Dumbledore,” Black spat at him. “This cave suppresses magic!” 

“Yes, I can feel that – the spell was very difficult to cast, but then I am a rather experienced wizard and my wand is a little unusual…” he went quickly to Snape, studying his injuries with dismay. 

“We have to get him back to the Hospital Wing, Sir,” Harry said. “I’m worried he might be badly hurt. Black shot him with that gun!” 

“I think it will need to be St. Mungo’s, in that case. They have a specialist Muggle Injuries Unit there. We will have to levitate him to the cave entrance. These ropes should keep Mr. Black here in place, but perhaps we might use the rope that is binding you as well as an additional precaution.” 

“He’s an animagus too Sir - that’s what he said, anyway. He can change into a dog. I’ve seen him before, on Privet Drive and in the grounds of Hogwarts.” 

“Really? Well, I will cast another spell to prevent that kind of transformation…” 

Once Black was secured (though he continued to protest and yell insults vociferously), Harry and the two Professors carefully took the unconscious Professor Snape outside the cave. 

“Filius, please apparate Severus to St. Mungo’s and see to it that they make his treatment a priority. Then perhaps you might contact the aurors and escort them here.” 

“Headmaster, I think you should listen to Black’s story first before you let the aurors have him,” Harry said reluctantly. “It may all be a lie but he’s claiming that Peter Pettigrew was the person who actually betrayed my parents, and that Pettigrew is an animagus who’s hiding in disguise as Ron’s pet rat, Scabbers. Black said that he’s an innocent man and his plan is to kill Pettigrew, for revenge.” 

Dumbledore looked mildly astonished. “An unlikely tale, I would say.” 

“Well maybe, but if his intention was to kill me like everyone thought then I’d be dead already. I just think you should hear what he has to say.” 

The headmaster turned to Filius. “Take Severus to St. Mungo’s and then return here. If they ask any awkward questions, tell them that I will explain everything later.” 

“Very well,” Flitwick replied, and apparated away with Snape. 

“I hope Professor Snape will be okay, Sir. That looked like a really bad wound.” 

The headmaster studied him carefully. “Yes, I fear so. Harry, before we go any further I would like to check something, if you will permit. Black may have used magic to confund you into saying these things to me, or perhaps used even darker spells. Will you allow me to look into your mind, to check for any tampering?” 

“Erm, well I don’t think he did anything like that, but okay.” 

“Thank you. Look straight at me.” Harry did so. He was too tired and sore to ask any questions about what form this tampering might have taken. “No, you have not been subjected to any mental manipulation,” Dumbledore said with relief after a couple of minutes. “I suspected it because you did not mention Black’s story until we were outside the magical dampening operating in the cave.” 

“Oh, right. I just didn’t think of it until now. My head hurts quite a bit; I was knocked out when Black brought me here.” 

“Ah, I see. Well, I will be sending you back to Hogwarts for Madam Pomfrey to take care of you as soon as Professor Flitwick returns. I will also be instructing him to take custody of the rat immediately; it is very easy to check whether an animal is actually a witch or wizard in animal form. If there is any truth in Black’s claims then we will find it.” 

“Thank you, Headmaster – and thanks for coming tonight. I’m sorry about this. I shouldn’t have gone to the dorm without anyone knowing. I just wanted a little time on my own and this is the result!” 

“Don’t trouble yourself about that, Harry. You thought you were safe there and it’s our fault for not ensuring that you were. At least we can now take care of the whole situation with Sirius Black, one way or another. Now, why don’t you tell me what happened from the point when you were taken from Hogwarts?” 

Harry explained the whole story to the Headmaster, which filled in the time until a worried Professor Flitwick arrived back fifteen minutes later. “Severus has been admitted to the Muggle Injuries ward. They’re checking him over now, but by their reactions I don’t think it’s looking good. I dodged their questions and told them you’d be there to answer them later.” 

“I will go to St. Mungo’s as soon as I can, but I need to deal with Sirius Black first. Filius, you have done a great deal tonight and you are looking unwell but I must burden you further. Take Mr. Potter back to the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts please, and once you have done so, Ronald Weasley’s pet rat must be captured and restrained. Be careful how you do it Filius, because if he is an animagus then you will only get the one chance to take him off guard. Ask Minerva to help you and use anyone else you need, but do not under any circumstances tell Professor Lupin anything about it. And also if you could, please advise Mr. Potter’s friends in both Gryffindor and Slytherin of his safe return.” 

“Understood,” Filius said calmly. “Come along, Mr. Potter.” 

Harry stood up tiredly. “You’ll make sure Sasha is okay, Sir?” 

“Of course,” Dumbledore replied with a smile. “We’ll speak soon, Harry.” 

Filius apparated them both back to Diagon Alley. “It’s better going this way; we can return to the Hospital Wing directly from the floo at the Leaky Cauldron and avoid the Dementors entirely,” he explained. Harry was too busy bringing up most of his evening meal to reply. 

A few minutes later he was standing in the Hospital Wing, with Madam Pomfrey fussing over both himself and Professor Flitwick. Harry changed and climbed into bed, he waited while spells were cast on him, he drank the potions that were put into his hand and then with a deep sense of relief, he allowed sleep to take him away. 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

When Harry awoke, his head was healed up and he felt no pain. There was nobody else nearby, but a number of cards and small gifts were left on an adjacent table for him. He reached for his glasses and looked around. From the low angle of the sunlight flowing through the windows, it looked like it was late afternoon – but on which day? 

“It is 3.20pm on Saturday,” said a familiar voice, and Harry grinned as the Headmaster came into view. “That is what you were wondering, I take it?” 

“Yes. How is Professor Snape, Sir?” 

“He will live,” Dumbledore replied with a tired smile. “And Harry, those are words which I feared that I would not be able to say to you. It was a close call last night; Severus came very, very near to death. The healers at St. Mungo’s had to call in a muggle surgeon to operate on him. They have a number of contacts in the muggle hospital system – parents of muggle-born witches and wizards, mostly.” 

“That sounds pretty bad,” Harry said worriedly. 

“It was, but he’s made it through the critical period and the healers are confident that he will recover. I hope to have our Potions Master back with us by the end of term.” 

“I’m glad about that,” Harry said sincerely. “Can I see him, when he’s a bit better? I’d like to talk to him. We kind of quarrelled when we last spoke, and I’d like to apologise for some of the things I said to him.” 

Dumbledore’s smile softened. “I’m not sure that Severus would want any student to see him in such a vulnerable state, Harry. However, I will ask him if he’ll consent to a visit when he’s well enough.” 

“Great, thanks.” 

Madam Pomfrey arrived at this point and insisted on checking him over while the Headmaster waited patiently. “Mmm, I think you’re healed up nicely, Mr. Potter. You can leave whenever you’re ready.” 

“Thanks very much. Where’s Neville, by the way?” 

“I discharged him half an hour ago. Professor Flitwick was also here earlier but he’s nicely recovered too. I trust you’ll try not to darken my door for the rest of the term, Mr. Potter – or the next week at least!” She gave him a quick smile and returned to her office. 

“Sir, can you tell me what happened with Black?” Harry asked eagerly. 

“Ah yes, of course. Why don’t I wait outside while you change into school uniform and then I will explain everything to you.” Once this was done, the Headmaster sat beside Harry on the bed. “Well now, we were able to confirm part of his story. The rat known as Scabbers is indeed Peter Pettigrew, and he was a Death Eater – he has the dark mark on his arm. Pettigrew and Black are currently both in my custody. Pettigrew has been using the Weasley family as a place to hide, fearing attack from other Death Eaters if he was known to be alive; after all, it seems that he was the one who sent Lord Voldemort to a very unpleasant fate when he attacked your family’s house.” 

“So Sirius Black was a good friend to my father after all? He wasn’t a Death Eater?” 

“That seems to be the case, and for him to be punished so severely for Pettigrew’s misdeeds is a terrible injustice, even more so as sadly he was never even given a trial. I didn’t realise that at the time - there was so much confusion just after the end of the war, so much to do - but I should have known… yes, I very much blame myself. Anyway, I have spent much of the morning negotiating with Minister Fudge to make the appropriate arrangements. Black and Pettigrew will both be handed over to the Ministry today and tried in the very near future – and hopefully justice will finally be done. We have agreed that Cornelius can take full credit for capturing both of them, and for solving the whole problem, demonstrating wonderful leadership skills and fearlessly acting as a defender of innocent witches and wizards everywhere,” Dumbledore said, winking at him. 

“Is this going to be like when he signed that copy of the Teaching Charter in the Great Hall?” Harry asked with a grin. 

“If anything, even more so… you see, it was the previous Minister who agreed to Sirius Black being imprisoned without trial, which means that Cornelius can paint himself in a highly flattering light in comparison. There will need to be a scapegoat, of course - and since Sirius’s hasty imprisonment was done on the advice of Barty Crouch, I suspect that he is highly likely to be looking for a new job fairly soon. All of this will be splashed across the next issue of the Daily Prophet in suitably lurid headlines, just so that you are aware.” 

“Will that include what happened to me last night?” 

“I’m afraid so. I should also mention that you will be required to give evidence at the trial, and that you will be questioned by aurors in the next couple of days. There’s nothing to worry about; all you will need to do is to explain what happened. I will remain with you on both occasions.” 

That sounded reassuring. “I appreciate that. When will the trial take place, Sir?” 

“Not until Professor Snape is well enough to attend and give testimony. Until then, both men will be held in cells at the Ministry, and questioned by aurors thoroughly as well.” 

“Who’s going to teach Potions while Professor Snape is away, Sir?” 

“Ah, I’ve borrowed a researcher from the Ministry’s Potions Development team for that. A bit of an irascible fellow, between you and me, but he should do very well for a few weeks. We also have the loan of an auror for Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons until the end of term, as Professor Lupin is no longer teaching in the school.” 

Looking at Dumbledore’s face, Harry knew not to ask any questions about that. He decided to wait until he could get his friends to tell him the full story. “How much of this do the other students know?” 

“Oh, pretty much all of it,” Dumbledore said cheerfully. “I explained everything at lunchtime today – it seemed best. Your friends are very much looking forward to seeing you again, and you will be delighted to hear that I have told them they are no longer required to act as your personal bodyguards. Sasha the owl is safely back in the owlery and looking forward to a visit from you at some point. The Dementors have been removed from the school grounds as well, and to celebrate the end of our worries about a potential threat from Sirius Black, I have announced that next weekend will be a Hogsmeade weekend. It will be your first trip there, I believe?” 

“Yeah, it will be,” Harry said excitedly. “That’s brilliant!” 

“Yes, I thought you would be pleased. Well, you will be wanting to go and see your friends I’m sure, but before that, do you have any other questions?” 

Harry frowned. “What’s likely to happen to Sirius Black? I mean, he might not have been a Death Eater but he has done some really bad things. He kidnapped me and he broke into the school, and he nearly killed Professor Snape.” 

“And according to his own claims, he is also an illegal animagus. Yes, there are quite a few criminal acts which he must take responsibility for. If he is cleared of all charges in relation to the deaths of your parents and he is confirmed not to have been a Death Eater, as I expect to happen, then there will be a process of offsetting carried out. That is to say, the applicable sentences for the crimes that are his will be weighed against the twelve years which he wrongly spent in Azkaban. If his crimes call for a sentence of more than twelve years in total then it is quite possible that he may need to serve additional prison time. And let’s not forget, there is the matter of the Imperius that he threatened you with. He didn’t go through with it, but it’s hardly likely to impress the Wizengamot when they hear that he was thinking about it.” 

“He was pretty frightening last night. I was scared of him. All he could think about was revenge and killing Pettigrew. But Sir, some of the things he did were as a result of what was done to him by the Ministry, weren’t they?” 

Dumbledore looked thoughtful. “Yes, you could say that. He is, partly at least, exactly what the Ministry made him. After so many years in Azkaban, I’m surprised he’s sane at all. Did you know that he is your godfather?” 

“No, I didn’t.” Harry shrugged, not really bothered. “He won’t be a problem for me in the future, will he Sir? If he gets out, I mean.” 

“I will take steps to try and prevent that, if required.” 

“Thanks. I’ll go back to the common room now then, if that’s okay.” Harry picked up the cards and gifts, walked away a few paces and then turned back. “Sir… is Sirius Black a good man or a bad one?” 

The Headmaster smiled at him. “Ah well, that is a very deep question, Harry. Like most of us he has the capability for both virtuous and evil actions. Whether he is, at heart, truly good or bad… I would like to think it is the former, because I always want to believe the best of people you know, but right now I wonder if even Sirius Black himself could answer that question. Perhaps we will be able to decide for ourselves after the trial.” 

Harry nodded thoughtfully and left to make his way to the Gryffindor common room. He received a noisy and exuberant welcome back, and questions were fired at him from all sides. 

“Harry, did you really fight Sirius Black?” 

“Well, I didn’t, it was—” 

“Is it true that he wanted to stab you with a golden knife and perform a dark magic ritual with your bones?” 

“No of course not, he just—" 

“Is Snape going to be away for a while? I’ve got a Potions essay of his that’s really hard and I want to put it off for as long as I can!” 

“The Headmaster said he’d be—" 

“How did Black kidnap you in the first place? Did he use a cursed object?” 

“Did you get _really badly hurt_?” 

“Did you know that we got questioned for ages by the aurors? They went through all our things as well!” 

“Yeah alright, that’s enough for now,” Harry said good-naturedly. “I can’t answer ten questions at once, you know!” 

“HARRY!” Oliver Wood yelled, pushing his way through the teaming crowd. “You’re back, excellent! In perfect health, I hope? On good flying form? We’ve got practice tomorrow and I want you at your peak!” 

“I will be,” Harry said with a smile. “I’m fine, and I’m looking forward to some flying. Now if the rest of you don’t mind, I’d like to hang out with my friends for a while…” 

Harry was able to extricate himself after a few minutes (though not before getting hugged by Percy in a highly public and embarrassing way), and he settled down with Hermione, Neville and Ron for a catch up. 

“I’m really glad you’re back,” Hermione said. “Oh Harry, we were so worried!” 

“Yeah, it’s great that you’re okay,” Neville beamed at him. 

“Too right,” Ron said heartily. “You’ll have to tell us everything, mate - I want to know all of it.” 

Harry obligingly related the whole story to them, starting off with an apology for sneaking away to the dorm on his own after Potions Club. However, they were all so glad to see him that even Hermione didn’t tell him off for it - well, not that much anyway. Once he had explained everything, the others talked him through their visit to the Headmaster’s office when Blaise reported him missing. As they chatted, Crookshanks came strolling over and jumped onto Harry’s lap. He purred, lay down and promptly went to sleep. 

“Well, someone’s obviously not going to apologise for getting me kidnapped,” Harry remarked. 

Hermione grimaced. “I’m so sorry about that, Harry. I couldn’t believe it when the Headmaster said that my own cat had been Black’s secret accomplice!” 

“It’s okay, Hermione; he meant well. Crookshanks I mean, not Black. And by the way Ron, I’m sorry too about Scabbers. I know he was a pet you got second-hand and he didn’t do much, but even so… it must have been tough to learn the truth about him.” 

Ron nodded seriously. “I felt a bit sick when I found out. Percy did too – he won’t even talk about it. Mum and Dad were called to the school when everything came out and they were horrified. I mean, we’ve basically had a Death Eater in the family for over ten years! Even Fred and George were pretty taken aback; they haven’t mocked me or Percy about it, not even once.” 

“Harry, I think you should talk to Percy about Scabbers,” Neville said. “He shouldn’t blame himself.” 

“Is that what he’s doing?” 

“I think so,” Ron said. “Which is stupid. It’s all very well those aurors pointing out all sneery that even magical rats wouldn’t live ten years or more and we should have got suspicious long before now, but none of us thought anything of it. I’ve tried to say that to him but I don’t think it sunk in. He might listen to you, though.” 

“I’ll speak to him after dinner,” Harry promised. “By the way, do you know what’s going on with Professor Lupin? The Headmaster told me he’s not teaching here anymore but he didn’t say why.” 

“What, definitely?” Ron said in surprise. “Fred and George said they’d seen him leave with all of his luggage earlier, but I don’t usually believe anything they say on principle.” 

“The Headmaster seemed really angry with Professor Lupin yesterday evening, but I’m not sure what for exactly,” Hermione said. “Blaise thinks that Professor Lupin was definitely up to something. And that reminds me Harry, everyone knows about him and Theo being your friends now. Blaise says that Malfoy is being atrociously rude about it in the Slytherin common room but he’s just about managing to pretend the whole thing isn’t happening in public.” 

Neville grinned. “Theo told me earlier that every time Malfoy kicks off, they just point out how he tried to make friends with you at the start of first year and tell him not to be too jealous because they’ve accomplished something that he can’t manage to.” 

Harry laughed. “Malfoy must think this is the worst term ever – nothing at all is going his way...” 

“It’s good, isn’t it?” Ron said with a grin. “And hey, it’s Hogsmeade next weekend and this time you can come with us!” 

“Hmm, I heard. It should be really fun. Any other news?” 

“We’ve got the hearing at the Ministry for Buckbeak on Friday,” Ron told him. “Our prospects are looking good but I’m not taking anything for granted. Mr. Mancini is arriving in Britain on Wednesday and we’ve got a Danger Club strategy meeting with him planned for Thursday night. If we don’t win this thing, it won’t be for lack of trying!” 

“That’s great Ron. Best of luck with it,” Harry said. 

“Thanks, mate. I’m glad you asked me to do it. I think being a leader suits me,” Ron said loftily. “I’m very effective at it.” 

“If you’re an example of an effective leader then I’d hate to see an ineffective one,” Hermione remarked with amusement. 

“Jealousy is _such_ a terrible thing,” Ron replied, waving his hand dismissively in her direction. She rolled her eyes at him and Harry just smiled, glad to be back among his friends once more. 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

Harry’s evening was quite busy. He went to the owlery to visit Sasha and Hedwig, then stopped off on the way back to thank Professor Flitwick for coming to his rescue in the cave. After that he spent ages sharing insults with Blaise via memo and talking with his Gryffindor friends. This meant that he didn’t have a chance to chat to Percy until late that evening; they sat together in a quiet corner of the common room after most people had gone to bed. 

“Percy, how are you doing? I know the news about Scabbers must have been a shock.” 

“There’s no need to dwell on that,” Percy said aloofly. “The situation is being dealt with by the Ministry.” 

“Are they dealing with the fact that my big brother’s upset? Because if so, I think I should send a letter of complaint to the Minister since they’re clearly doing a pretty poor job of it.” 

Percy relaxed slightly and gave him a ghost of a smile. “I don’t expect they can do much to fix that particular problem.” 

“Do you blame yourself?” 

“Who else is there to blame?” he said bitterly. “He was my pet for years and then I just handed him over to Ron, without thinking for a moment that there had to be something amiss with him living so long. What’s the point of getting twelve OWLs if I don’t have the sense to work out that my pet is actually a Death Eater in disguise!” 

Harry put his hand on Percy’s arm. “There are nine people in the Weasley household. Two of them are mature adults with several decades of magical experience. Two of them are adult wizards who work abroad yes, but they still come home regularly and they have known Scabbers for many years. Four of them are younger students, only partially trained but still intelligent people who again, have known Scabbers for many years. So why, Percy Weasley, is all of this solely your fault?” 

Percy chuckled, but it was a hollow sound. “It’s funny, you can say all that and it sounds completely logical, but I still feel like a failure. You and Ron, both of you were put in danger by Pettigrew. I’m your brother, I should have prevented that!” 

“Everyone around us was in danger, if they ever realised what he was,” Harry pointed out. “Dean, Seamus and Neville, Ginny, Hermione, your parents… all of us. And let’s be honest Percy, if even Hermione didn’t pick up on Scabbers being anything other than a real rat then there was no hope for the rest of us figuring it out!” 

Percy laughed properly then, and seemed to relax a little. “You’re a good person, Harry.” 

“It’s not that I don’t understand that feeling,” Harry said earnestly. “Blaming yourself, I mean. I feel it too. I’m the one who went off alone, Percy. I’m the one who picked up a strange parcel without even thinking about it! What happened to Professor Snape feels like my fault entirely.” 

“Well of course it wasn’t your fault!” Percy said reprovingly. “Whatever Black has or hasn’t done, he’s the one who has to take responsibility for that.” 

“And if I choose to blame myself anyway?” Harry asked. “Because that’s what you’re doing, isn’t it?” 

Percy sighed. “So what would you propose?” 

Harry shrugged. “That we make a pact to both try to be a bit easier on ourselves and think of the positives, maybe? Pettigrew’s in Ministry custody and likely to stay there, Black isn’t a threat any more, the Dementors are gone, I’m no longer in any special danger, it’s Hogsmeade this weekend and Christmas in a few weeks… see, there are loads of good things to concentrate on.” 

“Well… I can’t promise to be completely successful Harry, but I’ll try,” Percy promised. 

Harry leaned over and gave him a hug. It made him feel better as well. “Me too.” 

They sat for a while in comfortable silence, before Percy looked up. “You mentioned Christmas before, Harry. Are you staying at Hogwarts again?” 

“Mmm, yeah.” 

“You’ll be a bit lonely; there aren’t many Gryffindors staying over, I don’t think. Would you like to come and spend Christmas at the Burrow? I’m sure Mum and Dad wouldn’t mind.” 

Harry was touched, but he saw no way to accept the invitation. “I wish I could Percy, but it’s already been agreed with my muggle relatives that I’ll remain here.” 

“Well, could you owl them and ask if your plans could be changed? There’s plenty of time to get a reply back before end of term.” 

“Erm, well, about that… I did this thing a while back to get them to sign my Hogsmeade permission slip, it was kind of a negotiation I suppose you’d call it, and it included me promising to stay here at Hogwarts over Christmas as part of the deal. I’d get into trouble if I did anything else. Sorry, I would have come otherwise.” 

Percy gave him a suspicious look. “I’m not sure what you’re referring to and it’s probably best that I don’t enquire. We’ll leave it there for now, then.” 

“Okay, sure.” 

Percy got up. “Time for me to go to bed, I think. I’m glad you’re back, Harry. Good night – and thank you.” 

“Night, Percy. You’re welcome.” 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

Breakfast on Monday was notable for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the Headmaster introduced their temporary Professors Lentwood and Proudfoot, covering Potions and Defence Against the Dark Arts respectively. Professor Proudfoot smiled pleasantly around the room, but Professor Lentwood glowered ferociously as he surveyed the students, making a number of people comment to their friends that it really would be a good thing to have Professor Snape return as soon as possible. 

Shortly after that however, everyone’s attention was diverted when the morning round of owl deliveries brought in the new issue of the Daily Prophet. Its screaming headlines were much as Harry had expected. 

BOY-WHO-LIVED KIDNAPPED FROM HOGWARTS BY SIRIUS BLACK! 

HARRY POTTER RESCUED AND SAFE, BLACK NOW IN MINISTRY CUSTODY! 

PETER PETTIGREW DISCOVERED ALIVE AND IN HIDING AT HOGWARTS BY MINISTRY! 

MINISTER FUDGE ASKS, IS SIRIUS BLACK ACTUALLY INNOCENT OF BETRAYING POTTER FAMILY? 

BLACK WAS SENT TO AZKABAN WITHOUT A TRIAL BY MINISTER BAGNOLD! 

HOGWARTS PROFESSOR LUPIN ARRESTED! 

BLACK, PETTIGREW AND LUPIN TO FACE TRIAL! 

**MINISTER FUDGE DETERMINED TO FIND OUT TRUTH AND SEE JUSTICE DONE!**

“They’ve arrested Professor Lupin?” Harry said. This was the only surprising news item. “They must think he was helping Black this whole time, like we said he might be.” 

Hermione flipped through the pages. There was so much written about Harry’s time at the cave, Black’s actions past and present, Pettigrew’s treachery and Minister Fudge’s brilliance that this part of the story wasn’t covered until page 11. 

WEREWOLF REMUS LUPIN ARRESTED AS PART OF BLACK INVESTIGATION! 

“He’s a werewolf!” Ron exclaimed. “Well, he kept that quiet, didn’t he?” 

“What’s a werewolf?” Harry asked. 

“They’re just ordinary witches and wizards most of the time, except at full moon when they turn into wolves,” Hermione told him. “A werewolf is a terrible creature, they’re really dangerous and if they bite someone then that person becomes a werewolf too. Of course, people will think the worst of him now that everyone knows. The wizarding world is awfully prejudiced about things like that.” 

“Mum never lets us go out of the house on full moon nights back at the Burrow,” Ron remarked. “There aren’t many of them, werewolves I mean, but she says you can’t be too careful. Blimey, you wouldn’t think they’d let a werewolf teach in a school! I mean, I know Dumbledore’s standards for Defence teachers are pretty low, but even so…” 

“Black must know about Professor Lupin being a werewolf,” Harry realised. “He mentioned full moons when we were talking about Lupin in the cave.” He turned back to the newspaper and read the rest of the article with interest. 

__

_“Remus Lupin, aged 33 from Nantwich, has been arrested as part of the newly opened investigation into the attack on the Potter family by You-Know-Who, Sirius Black’s escape and subsequent events, and is now being questioned by aurors. Ministry officials advised that while no charges have yet been prepared, it is likely that Lupin will face trial along with Black and Pettigrew. Lupin, who is a registered werewolf, has until recently held the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor at Hogwarts. Many of our readers may be shocked to learn that a werewolf would ever be appointed to a position of such responsibility and be permitted to act as a teacher to young children. When contacted for comment on this matter, Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore told our reporter that: “There has been no danger to the inhabitants of Hogwarts this term because of Professor Lupin’s condition. A potion has been brewed for him which enabled him to retain complete control of himself during his transformations into a wolf. The safety of our students and staff remains my prime concern at all times.” Nevertheless, Lupin’s arrest does call into question his honesty and trustworthiness. Ministry staff have said only that Lupin’s actions in relation to Black’s escape and evasion are under investigation. However, this reporter has discovered that in fact Black and Lupin were in the same year when they attended Hogwarts as students, and they were both Gryffindors; this must surely indicate that a close relationship exists between them. Our readers will doubtless recall how Black was able to gain access to Hogwarts at Halloween so very easily. We can only speculate at this stage, but could he have been helped to do so by Lupin?”_

__

“That’s such a biased article,” Hermione commented with disgust. “They’ve virtually come out and said that Professor Lupin is guilty by association. Honestly, the Prophet doesn’t know anything about journalistic integrity!” 

“Yeah, but he probably is guilty,” Ron said, unconcerned, “so they’re right.” 

“That’s for the court to decide! How’s he ever going to get a fair trial in the circumstances?” 

“At least there’ll be a trial, not like with Black,” Harry said. He found that while he quite agreed with Hermione’s comments about the Prophet and its low standards of reporting, like Ron he couldn’t bring himself to care much about it. Hermione subsided, though he could hear her muttering under her breath about prejudice and failures in public duty and lack of objectivity as she continued to read the paper. Harry grinned as he watched her and fondly hoped that she never changed; despite Hermione’s regular and ruthless nagging, there was really nobody like her. 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I keep thinking that I’m near to the end of this story and then coming up with more ideas to add in to it, so still maybe a couple of chapters to go. In our next chapter, among other things: Buckbeak’s hearing date arrives, there are unexpected feathery goings-on and Harry visits Snape in hospital.
> 
> It crossed my mind as I was writing this chapter that Hermione does have a time turner in third year, and the Headmaster could have told her to go back in time and prevent Harry from being kidnapped, in the same way as he sent her back to save Sirius in canon. As to why he wouldn’t do the same in this story, I’ve decided to say that he was worried about putting Hermione in danger by throwing her into Black’s path if he sent her back – or something like that...


	20. Raise the bar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All rights to the Harry Potter universe belong to JK Rowling. I don’t own Harry Potter.
> 
> A/N: Thanks for all of the comments and for reading my story.

_From time to time, extra-curricular events may distract the project team and pull their attention away from core elements of the project onto other matters. This is not necessarily a bad thing, although there is the chance of subsequent interruption to the planned programme._

Harry found that the next week raced by, and much of it he enjoyed thoroughly. He had Study club, Potions club, several quidditch practices plus his Patronus Charm lesson, and all of those were interesting. A number of students had decided to stop learning the Patronus Charm now that the Dementors had gone back to Azkaban. As a result of this, a couple of the training groups had been merged together – although to his disgust, Ron still had the same auror teaching him as before. None of Harry and Hermione’s group had given up their training though, and Harry still thought it was important to learn the charm; being completely vulnerable to the effects of the Dementors was a feeling which he hated, and never wanted to experience again. He’d half expected to be told off for failing to be constantly vigilant by Mr. Moody and getting captured by Black as a result. However, when he was asked to stay after the week’s lesson finished, Moody was quite complimentary about Harry’s actions in the cave and praised his resilience under pressure. 

As the Headmaster had mentioned, Harry was questioned by a couple of aurors that week as well. They came to the Headmaster’s office for this and Dumbledore carefully supervised proceedings. The aurors were calm, business-like and highly effective interrogators. Helped by their adroit questioning, Harry found it quite easy to relate the events of his kidnapping as they’d happened. The only thing he hadn’t expected was to also be asked about his interactions with Professor Lupin. The aurors went into this in some detail, and he even had to tell them about the argument he’d had with Lupin when he requested Patronus Charm lessons. Harry had been worried that he might have been saying the wrong thing in some unknowable way, but the Headmaster had reassured him afterwards on this point and told him that he’d made a very credible witness. The trial would probably be held later that month, since Professor Snape was now well out of danger and recuperating nicely. 

On the other hand, there was one annoying element of the week - not only for Harry but for the rest of the school as well - and that was learning Potions from Professor Linton. The Headmaster had described the man as irascible, but as far as Harry could see that didn’t even scratch the surface of his failings. Linton had a volatile temper, which the students soon discovered could be set off by even quite innocuous happenings. He insulted everyone’s work and shouted at students of all Houses, even when their potions were almost perfect. Harry couldn’t even find it funny when he saw an affronted Malfoy being told that he was a “sneaky, in-bred and stupid piece of filth!”, and he really didn’t like it when the Potions master spoke harshly to anyone else. To make it worse, Linton was taking points off students from every House in large quantities and awarding none at all, which meant that the House Cup was now more a race to the bottom than a contest for victory. In fact, after only a week of his lessons, the Houses each had fewer than 50 points left. Not that he was holding back in terms of other punishments, though; Linton was also putting record numbers of students in detention on a daily basis, sometimes for quite small infractions. And since he’d made it a condition of his temporary employment that he would only remain in school for actual Potions lessons plus lunch, the task of supervising all of his evening and weekend detentions was given to a rather resentful Filch. Harry couldn’t really blame Filch for being sore about it; apparently there were twenty or more students showing up for detention some nights, and they all had to be given something to do. 

Harry noticed that Ron became steadily more nervous as the week went on. Buckbeak’s hearing was scheduled for 10am that Friday morning, and according to Hagrid it was likely to take a couple of hours. Ron was so tense and jittery on the actual day of the hearing that Hermione threatened to Stupefy him, just to stop him from fidgeting. (Harry was only half sure that she was joking). Still, there was nothing to worry about; a jubilant Hagrid came storming into the Great Hall on Friday lunchtime, accompanied by Mr. Mancini and Professor Sinistra, with loudly proclaimed news of their Malfoy-routing victory. Harry glanced across at Draco’s face at this point and took some pleasure in watching the anger and embarrassment to be seen there. The Danger Club members all came rushing over, after which there were many mutual congratulations, giving of compliments and (in Hagrid’s case) large, gulpy tears of happiness. 

“I can’t believe you managed to save ‘im, Professor!” Hagrid said emotionally. “You really gave that Committee a hard time for wanting to put him down. And you Danger Clubbers, your research and the work you did was awful useful. Not to mention Mr. Mancini - yer’ were a great help as well. If you hadn’t said that Buckbeak could move to that island of yours then I don’ think the Committee would’ve let Buckbeak off.” 

“Ah, it was my pleasure,” Mr. Mancini assured him. He was a tall, bulky man with heavily tanned skin, golden hair and a wide, cheerful smile. His English was extremely fluent, with only a slight Italian accent. “Your hippogriff will soon settle in with the others and be very happy, I am sure.” 

“I know he will, but I’m still going ter’ miss ‘im,” Hagrid said sadly. “He’s been a good friend.” 

“Then you must come and visit him during the school holidays!” Mancini said, clapping him on the back. “We often have witches and wizards come to observe our work. Anyone like yourself with a love of magical creatures is always welcome on our island.” 

Hagrid looked delighted. “Well thank yer’ kindly, I’d love to!” 

“I shall send you a photograph of him in his new habitat once he is settled in,” Mr. Mancini promised. “And then you must write back to me when you have a date in mind for your visit. You know, I think we have so many interesting creatures on Zuquerri island that you won’t ever want to leave!” 

“Ah, I couldn’t stay away from Hogwarts too long,” Hagrid said sentimentally. “I’d be pleased to visit, though. How will you be takin’ Buckbeak there? I expect it’s too far ‘im to fly.” 

“Yes, that will be no trouble; a comfortable carriage for Buckbeak and I will arrive tomorrow morning at nine o’clock. Perhaps you could all come to the gates and say goodbye to him? I am sure he would appreciate that.” 

Ron and the Danger Club members promised eagerly that they’d be there, and the next morning they stopped off on their way to Hogsmeade to bid Mr. Mancini and Buckbeak a cheerful farewell. Hagrid patted the hippogriff on the head and promised him in an unsteady voice that he’d be happy in his new home and make lots of new friends. They all waved and shouted their good wishes as the large carriage containing Buckbeak and Mr. Mancini whooshed away into the sky. 

“I’ll never ‘ave another hippogriff like ‘im!” Hagrid sobbed. “I just ‘ope he isn’t homesick, poor lad!” 

“I don’t think he will be,” Ron said. “I mean, Zuquerri’s got loads of other hippogriffs and it’s warm and safe for animals. Mr. Mancini said the temperature’s usually in the mid-twenties and it’s sunny almost all day, with loads of lovely coves and beaches. I wish I could go and live there myself!” 

Hagrid chuckled. “Ah, maybe you’re right, Ron. He’ll be okay, I know. Well now, hadn’t you lot best he headin’ off to Hogsmeade?” 

“Good idea,” Ron said. “Come on, let’s go before everything gets sold out!” 

They had a wonderfully high-spirited visit to Hogsmeade. Ron was in a euphoric mood after the Danger Club’s success, plus he had his earnings from the Snape Sweepstakes to spend and could buy all sorts of things that were normally out of his reach. He insisted on taking all of the Danger Club members to the Three Broomsticks to buy them a butterbeer, in thanks for their hard work. Harry, Neville and Hermione were also included; Ron said cheerfully that they counted as honorary Danger Club members. Harry split up from the others for an hour or two in the afternoon and joined Blaise and Theo while they went shopping for some Christmas presents, which was fun. It also felt good to be able to socialise openly with his Slytherin friends for the first time. Both of them were extremely cheerful too, and Blaise enchanted Harry with tales of his family’s Italian country house and all of the things that they’d do when he visited. He proposed the idea moving the trip forward so that Harry and Theo travelled to Italy with him in the Easter holidays. Harry said that would be fun, but he pointed out more than once that the Dursleys might not give their consent. This seemed not to worry Blaise at all; he merely smiled and assured Harry that his mother would make it all work out. That is, if he wanted to go… which Harry quickly said that he did. 

But all too soon, the happy weekend was over and it was Monday morning, which brought another Potions lesson with ‘Livid Linton’, as the Weasley twins had started calling him. Harry was half-seriously thinking about starting a third quest of the term to get the man sacked, except that with Dumbledore’s dodgy hiring policies, his replacement might be even worse. There was only one benefit to the situation; Linton’s hateful presence reminded everyone what a good thing the Teaching Charter was, because someone like him couldn’t be employed when it was formally implemented next term. That did seem a rather long way off in some ways though. 

“Get in, you little monsters!” Professor Linton snarled as he opened the door. Appropriately cowed by his never-ending lack of cordiality, the Slytherins and Gryffindors marched silently into the classroom. Though the two groups were always rivals, all of them at that moment were united in wishing for the quick the return of Professor Snape. 

Harry hated to see how changed everyone was in Potions lessons since Linton’s arrival. After Snape had adopted the principles of the Teaching Charter, his students had quickly improved in both confidence and ability, but now there was a horrible regression. Neville, for example, who’d been steadily gaining in self-assurance during Potions classes as his aptitude improved and Snape treated him better, became clumsy and nervous once more. This made Harry’s work a lot harder, as it fell to him to prevent all manner of potion-related disasters. Hermione was too worried to even raise her hand and ask a question, and Ron and Seamus were visibly panicky. Of course, the Slytherins were well aware that they were Linton’s targets too. Blaise and Theo tried to stay quiet and keep their heads down, Crabbe and Goyle were so slow and careful in an effort to avoid mistakes that they barely seemed to move, while Draco was just a picture of frustrated outrage – and it was this attitude which seemed to draw Linton’s attention more than anything. 

They got through the first half hour of the lesson without too many incidents, although Linton was unpleasant and quick to criticise. Tracy Davies, who usually worked with Malfoy on Potions, had gone to the Hospital Wing earlier with a fractured wrist. Linton had therefore ordered Malfoy to work alone, which meant he had to prepare the potion at high speed in order to have a chance of finishing it on time. It was perhaps inevitable that some form of error would be made. Malfoy’s first stirring of his potion was too rapid, which caused it to bubble and hiss instead of purring gently as the instructions specified. Linton descended on him with a look of malicious glee. 

“Idiot! That potion’s ruined thanks to your incompetence. You couldn’t brew a potion to save your miserable life, Malfoy! You’re completely useless!” 

“My potions marks are usually good, Professor,” Malfoy replied, in an attempt at defending himself. The unspoken words ‘ _When Professor Snape teaches this class’_ hung in the air. 

Linton scowled at him. “Due to sheer favouritism and coddling, no doubt! You’ve no skill at potions and it’s about time you realised it for yourself. Well, if you won’t believe me then how about if some of the other students tell you?” Linton turned and gestured at Crabbe. “You, boy! Point at Malfoy and say ‘Malfoy, you are useless!’, so that he gets the message.” 

The whole class stared in trepidation. Crabbe froze, his eyes flicking between Malfoy and Linton. “I, err…” 

“Say it now, or I’ll give you multiple detentions and take so many points from Slytherin that you’ll lose all chance at the House Cup!” he roared. 

Crabbe pointed a shaky finder at his friend. “Malfoy, you are useless,” he whispered, not looking up. Malfoy’s face twisted with anger and humiliation. 

“Good,” Linton said with satisfaction. “Now you do the same, Bulstrode.” 

Millicent Bulstrode looked uncomfortable, but she conformed after a look at Linton’s angry face. “Malfoy, you are useless.” 

“That’s right,” Linton said, looking pleased. “Starting to sink in, is it?” Malfoy looked straight ahead and did not reply. “Well, apparently not. Let’s see if a few more will do the trick.” 

One by one, Linton made the other Slytherins point at Malfoy and call him useless. All work in the classroom had come to a halt as the other students watched. It was clear that none of the Slytherins wanted to condemn their housemate, but they were too frightened of the possible consequences to disobey. None of the Gryffindors approved of what was being done to Malfoy, even though he was someone that they disliked – there was a cruelty about Linton’s actions that repelled them all. As for Harry, he could feel the anger swelling up inside him. How _dare_ Linton try to pull apart everything that they’d built this term? 

“Well then, I don’t think you’re fully convinced of your own uselessness, Malfoy, so let’s get some of the Gryffindors to ram the lesson home! Let’s start with you, Longbottom.” 

Neville went red. “Erm… but...” 

Linton glared at him. “I gave you an order, Longbottom. Put Malfoy in his place now, or Gryffindor loses more points than you can imagine, and you can spend a week of detentions collecting potions ingredients alone at night in the Forbidden Forest as well. Now do it!” 

Neville gulped and shivered with fear. Looking horribly embarrassed, he pointed and said “Malfoy, you are useless.” 

“That’s better,” Linton said with satisfaction. “You’re next, Brown.” 

Lavender, Parvati, Seamus and Dean were called upon in turn and each of them reluctantly followed Linton’s orders. Ron came next. He stared at Harry desperately, and Harry shook his head – but Ron obeyed as well, shamefaced and looking as if he’d rather be anywhere else than there. 

“Your turn, Potter.” 

Harry glanced at Linton with revulsion, and then tilted his head to look at Malfoy. He pointed towards him. “Malfoy, there are load of things that I dislike about you, but you do get good marks in Potions and other classes too, and that’s not through favouritism, so I think you’re _not_ useless – and if anyone says you are, then don’t pay any attention to them because they don’t know what they’re talking about.” 

Malfoy gaped at him in confusion, while Hermione’s mouth slowly opened in a silent expression of horror. Everyone else just watched fearfully; they knew all too well that retribution was about to descend on Harry. He knew it himself, and braced himself for the impact. Linton stormed over to Harry and slammed a hand on his workbench. 

“Do as you’re told, Potter, or I’ll make you regret it!” 

“I’m sorry Professor, but I can’t,” Harry replied, as politely as he could manage. “You see, I’m a strong supporter of the Teaching Charter. And the Charter says that Professors should treat students with dignity and never attempt to humiliate or bully them. So even if I honestly did think that Malfoy was useless, which I don’t, then it would be wrong of me to say so.” 

“That damn Charter isn’t in force until next term, Potter!” 

“I understand that Sir, but I don’t think it matters. Professor Snape started using it almost right away and some of the other Professors have done as well. I think they would agree with me that insulting Malfoy isn’t the right thing to do. I won’t say it, Professor.” 

Linton snarled at him. “In that case, I’m taking a hundred points from Gryffindor and you can have detention every night with Mr. Filch until the end of the school year for your extreme insolence and gross disobedience. And you, Malfoy – fifty points from Slytherin and a month’s detention, because you _are_ useless, even if Potter fails to see it. Now, I’m clearly wasting my time trying to teach you morons, so clear away your workbenches the lot of you, and then get out!” 

In silence, the students nervously put away their equipment and disposed of their failed potions as soon as they could. None of them said anything as they made their way out of the dungeons. Malfoy walked quickly ahead, for once leaving his trusty attendants Crabbe and Goyle behind. They both looked a little lost on their own. Harry noticed this and thought about saying something which might be generally reassuring to them, except he couldn’t think of anything. Besides, they probably wouldn’t have listened to him. He glanced back at Blaise and made a subtle gesture towards Crabbe and Goyle; Blaise nodded his understanding, and went over to chat to them. 

The Gryffindors returned to the ground floor in a depressed sort of silence. Their next lesson was Care of Magical Creatures, which they had plenty of time to get to because of their early dismissal from Potions. By some unspoken agreement they didn’t raise the subject of Potions during their walk to meet Hagrid. Harry felt low-spirited at the thought of detention every night for the rest of the entire school year. He wouldn’t be able to go to Potions Club or Study Club any more, plus there would be barely any time for homework – and what would happen about quidditch practice? Harry gloomily contemplated what would undoubtedly be a difficult conversation when he broke the news to Oliver Wood that he could only practice at weekends from now on. 

Later that day, Harry did mention the Potions lesson to his friends but he found that they were reluctant to talk about it, so he let the matter drop. He was a bit worried that maybe they were angry at him because of the deducted points. A hundred points all in one go was quite a lot to lose, so he wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t like it. Perhaps he should have done what Linton wanted, he mused at dinner. Would it really have mattered if one more person called Malfoy useless? It wasn’t as if Malfoy would care what a load of Gryffindors thought of him anyway. 

Harry was stopped by Filch as he left the Great Hall after dinner and told to report for detention at 7pm “and daily after that until next summer, haha!” He decided to go back to the Gryffindor common room until then. His friends were subdued and said little on the walk back. For his part, Harry was trying to gear himself up to speak to Oliver Wood and wondering if he could get away with putting it off until tomorrow. However, Oliver had already heard the news and was waiting anxiously for him. 

“Harry! What’s this I hear about you getting detention for the entire school year? How can we possibly win the quidditch cup with you unavailable for most of our practices?” 

“Erm, yeah, I was going to tell you about that…” 

Oliver grabbed his arm. “You’ve got to get out of those detentions somehow, Harry! I need you at practice _every time!_ Can’t you speak to Professor Linton and apologise? If you tell him you’re sorry then maybe he’ll reconsider.” 

“But I’m not sorry, so there’d be no point in that.” 

“Well, couldn’t you pretend you were?” 

Harry sighed. “Oliver, I feel bad about what happened, really I do – but if I apologised then it would be like saying Linton was within his rights to try and humiliate Malfoy. I fought too hard for the Teaching Charter to do that.” 

Oliver looked desperate. “But Harry, didn’t everyone else in the room do what Professor Linton told them to? That’s what I heard, anyway.” 

“You heard right,” Ron interrupted, his face red. “Harry was the only one who did the right thing. The rest of us rolled over and did what Linton told us to – and even though it was Malfoy, I feel a bit bad about that now.” 

“So do I,” Neville said in a low voice. “Really bad. I mean, we’re Gryffindors so we should have done the brave thing, right?” 

“Professor Linton never got round to asking me, but if he had then I think I might have obeyed him as well to be honest,” Hermione admitted. “He really was quite frightening.” 

“I’ve already been to see Professor McGonagall and asked her to rescind the detentions,” Oliver said in frustration, “but she told me that the Professors aren’t usually allowed to remove each other’s punishments so there’s nothing she could do. Harry, you have to apologise!” 

“That’s not going to happen,” Harry told him decidedly. “Maybe I am the world’s biggest idiot for making a thing of this but I feel really strongly about it. Oliver, I’ll practice at weekends all I can, and when the weather gets better then we can have early morning practices too. I’ll understand if you want to replace me with another seeker, though.” 

“Replace you?” Oliver said, aghast. “That’s the last thing we need!” 

“Then I suggest focusing on seeker practice at weekends and more goal work with the rest of the team in the weekday practices, and we’ll see how that goes.” 

Oliver sighed “I’ll try it, but it won’t be the same.” He walked off, looking a picture of misery. 

Harry glanced at his friends. “I don’t blame anyone for doing what Linton told them to,” he said. “I mean, I was probably the stupid one for standing up to him. We lost a hundred points because of that. And Neville, he threatened you with detention on your own in the Forbidden Forest at night! _On your own!_ I don’t know about you, but I certainly haven’t forgotten our last detention there.” 

Neville nodded, looking a little brighter. “That’s what I was thinking about too, when he said it. It was bad enough when I was there with you and Hagrid, but all alone...” 

“Exactly! So none of you need to feel bad,” Harry said reassuringly. “It’s Linton who was in the wrong, not any of us.” 

“Thanks, mate,” Ron said, looking relieved. “And look, I’ll help you a bit with homework if you need it. I know it might be a struggle for you to get everything done when there’s detention every night.” 

“Thanks,” Harry smiled. Hermione looked disapproving but chose to say nothing, which Harry knew meant that she would turn a blind eye to anything of the kind. He really did have the best friends. 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

As well as Harry and Malfoy, there were fifteen other students who reported to Filch for detention that evening. All of them had been sent there by Professor Linton and were thoroughly fed up about it. Filch was the only person who seemed even slightly cheerful; it became clear that he’d sorted out a system for the mass detentions now, and was therefore able to run them with comparatively little effort. 

“Right you lot, pay attention,” Filch said, smiling unpleasantly. He gestured to a row of mops and buckets which were standing against the wall nearby. “Detention is two hours of mopping the floors. These are magic mops. Put one in a bucket and say ‘soap’, then the bucket will have clean soapy water in. You use that to clean the floor with – and do it thoroughly! Then back to the bucket, put the mop in again and say ‘water’, and it’ll give you clean water to wipe the soap off the floor. Then finally you go back to the bucket and say ‘dry’. It’ll clean and dry your mop so you can wipe up the water off the floor. Then you move on to another bit of floor and do the same thing. Keep going like that until I arrive in a couple of hours and check your work. You’re not allowed to use any cleaning spells either, got it?” 

The students nodded glumly, all except for Malfoy who looked incensed. “I’m not doing all that! What do you think I am, a house elf?” 

“For the next month, that’s exactly what you are,” Filch said with delight. “At least you’re not Potter – he’s got this to look forward to every night until next June, heehee…” 

Harry pulled a face at Filch, which fortunately the caretaker didn’t see. He was depressed at the thought of spending the next six or seven months cleaning, though he couldn’t help thinking that the magic mop and bucket would be really useful when he was back at the Dursleys. It might be worth finding out if using them would break the rule about no underage magic outside of school; if not, then maybe one of them might end up being accidentally shrunk and packed in his school trunk at the end of the year. 

“Right, each of you take a mop and bucket and I’ll tell you where to go. I’ve made sure that you’re all going to corridors with portraits; they’ll keep an eye on you and tell me if you haven’t done the work. Anyone who doesn’t clean properly gets another two hours detention,” he added, looking positively excited at the thought. “And make sure you layabouts keep working until I arrive and give you permission to stop!” 

Filch gave each of the unlucky students an area of the school to work in. Harry was posted to the seventh floor and made his way there gloomily. He didn’t mind cleaning, of course – there was always plenty of that to be done at Privet Drive. He also found the magic mop and bucket easy to use, and soon got into a rhythm with it. It was the number of detentions he’d have to do which really troubled him. A more minor annoyance was that he didn’t have a watch with him and was worried about it getting too late; after all, it could take Filch ages to make the rounds and check every student’s cleaning. Harry was on his own mostly, though the odd student wandered by every now and again; some of them cracked jokes at his expense, but others commiserated with him about being in detention, and were quite willing to criticise Professor Linton in robust terms which Harry found very pleasant to hear. 

After some time, there were fewer students passing by and Harry thought the two hours must be close to being over. He kept glancing hopefully along the corridor, but there was no sign of Filch. He got on with his cleaning with a deep sigh, but when the sound of approaching footsteps could finally be heard, it was Malfoy who appeared. Harry groaned inwardly; this was the last thing he needed. 

Malfoy stopped in front of him, looking annoyed. “We need to talk, Potter.” 

Harry sighed. “Why aren’t you cleaning?” 

“I’ve finished. Filch let me go a few minutes ago. I was on the ground floor so he got to me sooner. I expect it’ll take him _ages_ to get all the way up here.” 

Harry kept cleaning; he didn’t intend to give Malfoy any excuse to tell Filch he’d not done the job properly. “You should go back to the Slytherin common room then.” 

“Don’t tell me what I should do!” Malfoy snapped. “I told you, we need to talk.” 

“What about?” he said wearily. 

“Potions class. I want to know why you didn’t do what Linton told you. You must have had a reason.” 

“Yes I did, and I explained that in class.” 

“You must have been lying,” he said accusingly. “There’s no way you’d ever stick up for me without some ulterior motive.” 

Harry was tired, and not in the mood for Malfoy’s verbal taunts. “It wasn’t about you, Malfoy. Linton could have picked on anyone in the room and I’d have done the same thing on principle. I want every class to be taught just like the Teaching Charter says. It’s there to protect all of us.” 

“And because of your ‘principle’, Gryffindor lost a lot of points and you and that mop are going to be best friends for life. How does that feel?” 

“I don’t think either of us came out of today’s Potions lesson as winners, Malfoy.” 

“Oh, I can see what you’d think that,” he replied, looking smug. “However, I’ve written to my father and asked him to intervene. My punishment today was entirely undeserved so I’m sure he will have no trouble at all in getting it cancelled.” 

“Well, good for you,” Harry said sarcastically. 

“Jealous, Potter? You should be. Maybe next time you’ll make the right decision. If you’d have let it go, then you wouldn’t have ended up with a year’s detention.” Harry ignored him, and Malfoy’s face grew red with anger “This doesn’t change anything Potter, so don’t think it does!” 

“I don’t know what you mean and I care even less,” Harry said. “If this is all you want to talk about then I’d rather pass, thanks.” 

Malfoy glared at him. “You’re up to something, Potter. You’ve got some plan in mind, and I’ll find out what it is, I promise you!” 

Harry rolled his eyes. “Honestly Malfoy, all I’ve been up to recently is doing my best to avoid being killed and trying to find some quiet time to finish off my Astronomy homework.” 

“You must think I’m not paying attention, Potter. I’ve seen all of the changes you’ve made this term. Don’t think I haven’t realised how suspicious your sudden so-called friendship with Zabini and Nott is, either!” 

Harry laughed. “I’d hate to be you, Malfoy – you do nothing but think the worst of people. I like Blaise and Theo, they’ve become good friends; there’s nothing suspicious about it.” 

“So you’re not worried that they’re using you, then?” Malfoy asked with a sly look. “Because they are, you know. They’ve talked about it lots of times in the Slytherin common room and laughed about how gullible you are.” 

“Oh really?” Harry said disbelievingly. “Well, don’t I look a fool then. I suppose I’d better cancel those plans I had to launch a Slytherin House Appreciation Society.” 

“You can mock all you like but Gryffindors and Slytherins can’t be friends,” Malfoy said decisively. 

“I used to think that, but now I’ve learned better. Any chance that you could go away now?” 

“Of course,” Malfoy said, giving him an evil look. He kicked the bucket over, making dirty water pour over the newly-washed floor. “Enjoy your cleaning, Potter!” 

Harry swore under his breath as Malfoy sauntered off. He rapidly mopped up the water and cleaned the nearby area of floor again quickly. It was just about finished by the time that Filch arrived. The caretaker conferred with the portraits, who praised Harry’s diligence and confirmed that he’d worked hard, much to Filch’s apparent dismay. He grumpily told Harry that he could take the mop and bucket back and then he was free to go. Exhausted, Harry made his way back to the Gryffindor common room and headed straight up to his dorm for some much-needed sleep. 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

At lunch the next day, Ron was monopolising the conversation with an in-depth analysis of the Chudley Cannons’ most recent game. Harry, who had never seen the Cannons in action and had no interest in doing so any time soon, felt his attention wandering as he stared across the hall idly. Even so, it was pure chance that he was looking in the right direction when it happened. There was a loud pop in the vicinity of the staff table, a flash of light and then Professor Linton was transformed into a big, yellow-feathered chicken. It was a rather outsized bird, being about the height of a medium-sized dog. The chicken started clucking frantically. Harry snorted with laughter and pointed at it; Hermione looked across and then started to giggle, even though she looked rather shocked too. 

Ron stopped what he was saying and glanced across at the staff table. “Who brought that chicken in?” 

“It’s Linton,” Harry said, laughing. “Somebody’s turned him into one!” 

The laughter was steadily building as students across the hall saw what was happening and told their friends. Harry saw the Headmaster give the Weasley twins a long-suffering look, and then he moved over to Professor Linton and cast a spell. Its only effect was to make the Linton-chicken grow twice as big, as did its clucks of panic. 

“Did you do that?” Ron asked his brothers. “Honestly, it’s genius!” 

“It’s not our work, but I have to agree – brilliant effects!” Fred said, laughing heartily. 

Several of the Professors were attempting to assist the Headmaster to change Linton back to his human form, but everything they tried was simply increasing him in size. After a few tries, his chicken body was about as tall as Hagrid, though he seemed to be too heavy to actually get up and eventually he fell off the chair entirely. The chicken’s yelping clucks sounded constantly until Professor McGonagall impatiently cast a Silencing Charm on him. Most people could barely hear him anyway over the sounds of the students roaring with laughter. 

The Headmaster came over and stood by the Weasley twins. “Am I to assume, gentlemen, that this is your doing?” 

They grinned back at him engagingly. “I’m afraid not,” Fred told him. “We’re very impressed by the workmanship – I mean, those feathers look so _custardy_. But we didn’t do this, so you’ll have to look elsewhere for the clever covert chicken creator, because we’re not them.” 

“You should give them an award for special services to the school when you find them though,” George commented. “I mean, look how much they’ve cheered everyone up!” 

The Headmaster shook his head, sighed and returned to the staff table. The chicken was now rolling on the floor, trying in vain to get up. Harry thought that some of the other Professors didn’t look quite as concerned about this as they should have done. 

The Headmaster called for silence, which he was eventually able to achieve. “Well, this has certainly proved to be a lunchtime to remember. Could whoever has turned Professor Linton into a chicken please make themselves known now?” He waited for about a minute but nobody owned up; the students were mostly trying not to laugh again. “Very well, go on with your meal.” Assisted by several of the other Professors, Dumbledore levitated the Linton-chicken and moved it out of the Great Hall. 

“Now that was completely brilliant!” Harry said, giggling with joy. “I especially loved the part where he fell off the chair!” 

“We shouldn’t laugh really,” Hermione said, unable to keep her face straight, “after all, that chicken did seem to be quite frightened!” 

“Well, it serves him right,” Neville commented. “I’m glad. I’d have done it to him myself if I could!” 

Due to Professor Linton’s transformation, all Potions classes that day were cancelled. Back in the Great Hall that evening, a serious-looking Headmaster Dumbledore called for quiet after most of the students were assembled. 

“My apologies for delaying your evening meal, but I’m afraid we must return to the subject of Professor Linton. It has not yet been possible to change him back to human form. Madam Pomfrey has summoned healers from St. Mungo’s to help but they are also at a loss. Every attempt to remove the spell simply makes his chicken body larger. He is now, in fact, roughly the size of a small cottage.” There were several explosions of laughter at this. “Yes, I suppose some of you may think there is a funny side to it, but I must insist that the culprit own up immediately.” He paused for a minute or so but nobody came forward. Dumbledore looked grim. “I am sorry, but this cannot be allowed to pass. We will remain here in silence until whoever is responsible admits to this fact.” 

The students stared at each other in surprise while Dumbledore waited, calm and unruffled. 

“How long will this go on for?” Ron whispered. “He won’t keep us here for hours, will he?” 

“No idea,” Harry murmured. “He must be really annoyed.” 

“It’s probably just a short wait,” Hermione said in a low voice. “At least, I hope so because I’ve got a lot of homework to do tonight and I really don’t want to be delayed!” 

Neville leaned over towards them. There was a look of determination on his face. “I’m going to do something about this,” he said. “I was too scared to do the right thing in Potions class, but I’m not going to be scared now. Only – you’ll back me up, won’t you?” 

“What are you planning?” Harry asked curiously, but Neville had already sprung to his feet. He started to loudly chant a repeated phrase, over and over. 

_“We won’t tell! We won’t tell! We won’t tell! We won’t TELL!”_

Harry, Ron and Hermione stared at each other in dismay. They knew now what backing Neville up would mean, and were cringing at the thought of it – but they couldn’t leave their friend alone. The three of them got to their feet and joined in the chant with Neville. Ginny, Colin and the Weasley twins enthusiastically did the same. Harry thought worriedly that if nobody else followed their example then they’d look like absolute idiots, but fortunately (and to his complete amazement) Malfoy of all people stood up and joined in their cry of defiance. The rest of the Slytherins followed immediately, then all of the other Danger Club members, and soon students all over the hall copied them. In a couple of minutes, virtually the entire student body was chanting the same slogan of rebellion, accompanied by the stomping of feet and hands slapped on the table. 

**“WE WON’T TELL! WE WON’T TELL! WE WON’T TELL! WE WON’T TELL!”**

As Dumbledore surveyed them all, the expression on his face was a mixture of annoyance, frustration and a rather reluctant admiration and pride. He called for silence. “Mr. Longbottom, please remain standing. Everyone else, you may sit down.” 

They all complied, with much giggling and whispering. Neville looked petrified at being the focus of everyone’s attention but he lifted his head and looked at the Headmaster proudly. 

“Sometimes house unity takes the strangest forms,” the Headmaster said ruefully. “Mr. Longbottom, as you instigated that little display of defiance, I would be interested to hear your reasons for encouraging the other students not to cooperate with me.” 

“I did it because Professor Linton is an awful teacher who treats people really badly,” Neville said firmly, though his hands were shaking. “He should never have been employed here because he’s totally against the Teaching Charter. I think that whoever turned him into a chicken did us all a favour! In fact, I’d give them the Order of Merlin if I could – first class, too!” Everyone laughed, and even the Headmaster smiled slightly. 

“Thank you for the explanation. However, the student who performed this magic must step forward so that they can explain how the spell can be removed. We cannot leave Professor Linton in chicken form permanently, much as some of you might like to.” 

“If that’s so then why can’t they let you know how to change him back anonymously?” Neville asked. There were murmurs of agreement to this idea across the hall and several people clapped. 

“Very well,” Dumbledore replied, not looking too pleased about it. “I require the person who performed this spell on Professor Linton to inform myself or one of the other Professors of how to remove it by 9pm tonight at the latest. They can do so anonymously if they wish. You may be seated, Mr. Longbottom. I will however take twenty points from Gryffindor for… inciting civil unrest, shall we say? Now, let us eat.” 

An elated Neville was patted on the back and congratulated by all of the Gryffindors around him. “That makes up for Potions class!” he said joyfully. “Thanks for your help, everyone.” 

“And what do twenty points matter, when Linton’s already taken about ten thousand?” Ron said with a grin. “Nice work mate, though I was a bit worried for a minute that we’d be all on our own while everyone sat there and laughed at us.” 

“I wonder who really cast that spell?” Hermione said curiously. “It must have been quite advanced Transfiguration work if the Professors and the staff at St. Mungo’s couldn’t reverse it. I can’t imagine how it was done, especially as nobody even witnessed the spell being cast in the first place!” 

“That’s just as well, or you’d be suspect number one,” Harry said in a teasing tone. “Well, whoever they are, I think they should be proud of themselves!” 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

Later that evening, a student left the Gryffindor common room after casually mentioning that they were just popping upstairs to fetch some homework. In fact, they stopped off in the dorm only long enough to grab their broomstick and put on a cloak before making their way to one of the few Gryffindor Tower windows which they knew from past experience was wide enough to comfortably fly through. Checking that nobody saw them, the student flew out of the window and made their way around the castle until they reached the Headmaster’s office. The curtains had not been drawn so as they hovered outside in the darkness, there was a clear view of the Headmaster and several members of staff in mid-argument. Taking advantage of their distraction, the student cast a spell to open the window and levitated a piece of parchment into the room, after which they flew away rapidly. The parchment said: 

_Headmaster, the spell on Professor Linton can be removed by making a circular motion slowly twice clockwise with your wand and then pointing it at him while saying ‘Beende diesen Zauber’. (it means ‘end this spell’ in German). Professor Linton will have suffered no damage of any kind and will probably not remember what happened. PS: Longbottom was right – you should never have employed him._

Back in the Gryffindor Tower, the student dropped off their cloak and broomstick in the empty dorm and picked up their homework before strolling back to the common room. The whole thing had taken just over five minutes. 

Percy Weasley glanced up briefly as the culprit sat down next to him. “Did you have trouble finding your homework?” 

Oliver Wood nodded casually. “A bit - it had slipped out of my bag and rolled under the bed. It took me a few minutes to spot it. The essay shouldn’t take too long to finish though; I’m almost two thirds done already.” 

Percy nodded unsuspiciously and returned to his own studies while Oliver opened his Charms textbook. He pretended to carefully read it, but mentally he was too busy gloating over his triumph to concentrate on his work. Having a German cousin with a penchant for silly magical jokes had sometimes annoyed him in the past, but he’d learned a few useful spells from Johann over the years. One of them was the Avian Ambush spell, which Johann had invented himself. Oliver didn’t think he had ever mentioned his German relatives to any of the Professors. 

That would teach Linton how stupid it was to put _his_ star seeker in detention for a year! 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

The following morning at breakfast, the Headmaster called for quiet and addressed the students once more. 

“Before we eat, I am happy to announce that following the receipt of an anonymous note explaining how to remove the spell on Professor Linton, he has been returned to his normal self and is quite well. However, Professor Linton is quite naturally incensed by what happened and he has therefore refused to continue teaching at the school.” There was a massive round of applause at this, which the Headmaster allowed to finish and then continued speaking as if it hadn’t happened. “We have decided that as there is only a week left of this term, it is not worth us looking for another temporary Potions master. All Potions classes are cancelled until next term therefore, but Professor Snape will be asked to schedule extra lessons during the rest of the school year, to enable you all to catch up.” 

Dumbledore paused for a moment, glanced around the hall and then continued. “I would also like to say that having considered the matter carefully, I do acknowledge that Professor Linton was not a suitable teacher for this school. I assure you that more careful checks will be carried out on new members of staff from now on, and we will ensure that all of our Professors follow the Teaching Charter to the letter. Now, since Professor Linton appears not to have understood how our points system works, I am hereby adding back all points which he deducted during his short but eventful teaching career.” The students cheered this and clapped heartily. “Additionally, as Professor Linton seems to have been a little confused about the typical uses of our detention system, I am cancelling all ongoing detentions which he has previously assigned.” 

“YES!” Oliver Wood yelled, beaming at the Headmaster. 

“Oh, did he interfere with quidditch practice, Mr. Wood?” Dumbledore said in amusement. “Well, I am sure you will be able to make up any lost time. Now, there is something important that I want all of you to understand; using magic to attack any Professor is unacceptable, regardless of the circumstances. Any issues you have with members of staff should be referred to your Head of House in the first instance, or to another Professor or myself. Because I recognise that Professor Linton was not an ideal teacher, I am allowing this one incident to pass - but please understand that should anything similar occur in future then I will take the most rigorous disciplinary action against the culprits. That is all, and thank you for your attention.” 

“Well, that made Oliver happy,” Harry said, glancing over at his ecstatic team captain. Oliver looked back and gave him a big thumbs up. “I’m so glad that I don’t have to do all of those detentions!” 

“ _And_ we’re back on top in points for the House Cup!” Ron said as he started eating breakfast. “Slytherin are close but we’ve got every chance of winning it.” 

“You know, I think we’ve had more surprising events packed into this one term than there were in the whole of our first two school years!” Hermione commented. “Well, at least the end of term should be quite peaceful - apart from the trial, of course.” 

Harry nodded solemnly. “I’m just thinking, get through that and then I can relax for Christmas.” 

“Did somebody say Christmas?” Percy exclaimed chirpily from behind them. He slipped into a seat next to Ron, who pulled a face at him. “I wanted to talk to the three of you about that very thing. Hermione, Ron – I was wondering, were either of you planning to stay on at Christmas, since Harry will be here?” 

Ron and Hermione exchanged a look. “Well, I did think it might be helpful to get some extra studying time in…” Hermione said faintly. 

“Yeah, me too,” Ron added hastily. 

Harry grinned at both of them. “I didn’t know you were thinking about staying on.” 

Ron shrugged. “Could be a good idea, for my, erm, grades and all.” 

Percy gave him a disbelieving look. “Well, you might want to change your mind when you hear what I’ve arranged,” he said importantly. “Harry, you told me that you had to stay here over Christmas, but it occurred to me that if I could get permission, you could still visit the Burrow in the daytime by floo’ing over!” 

“I didn’t know that was allowed,” Harry said in surprise. 

“Oh, it’s not,” Percy replied smugly. “However, I have spoken to Professor McGonagall and requested it specially. I explained that you’ve had a very tough term, as has Ron really, and with the trial coming up as well, I thought it would help you to spend time with us rather than being left on your own here. She eventually agreed, but she said please don’t tell anyone else. You can use the floo in her office to get to the Burrow each morning, and you just have to return by 8pm each evening. How does that sound?” 

“Brilliant!” Harry said. “That’s a great idea. Thanks very much, Percy.” 

“It’s no trouble,” he replied, looking enormously pleased with himself. “So, you two can go home for the holidays if you want to. You could come and visit as well, Hermione; it would be easy to floo to us from the Leaky Cauldron.” 

“Could I really? Well, that would let me spend the holidays with my parents, which I’d like.” 

“Why not bring them over one day as well?” Ron suggested. “Dad would love to meet some actual muggles. Mind you, he’d never stop asking them to explain stuff.” 

“Yes, but at least they’d be able to learn a bit more about the wizarding world in the process!” Hermione said with interest. “I think that’s a really good idea. Ron and I can go home for the holidays then, and I can floo over when Harry’s there. We’ll still be able to spend time together that way.” 

“Thanks again, Percy,” Harry said. “This is definitely going to be a Christmas to remember!” 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

The Headmaster sent Harry a message saying that he could go to see Professor Snape in St. Mungo’s after the last lesson on Friday afternoon. The note also requested him not to mention this to anyone else, since none of the other students were allowed to visit. Harry felt a bit bad about this - he knew that Blaise would have welcomed the chance to go as well. However, he’d learned enough about the house of snakes this term to guess that Snape would probably not wish to appear less than completely strong and healthy when he was in the presence of the other Slytherins. 

Harry was escorted to St. Mungo’s by Professor Vector, who assured him that she was quite happy to pass the time in the waiting room with a book until he returned, and a healer led him through. Professor Snape had been given a room of his own and he was sat waiting for Harry on a chair next to the bed. He wore a white nightshirt with a grey dressing gown and slippers. Snape was a little pale, but he was looking very much better than the last time Harry had seen him. 

“You can have twenty minutes,” the healer told him as she left the room. 

“Take a seat, Mr. Potter,” Snape said, gesturing to the empty chair beside him. 

“Thanks. How are you feeling, Professor?” 

“Quite frankly, I am extremely bored,” Snape said with a grimace. 

“I know what you mean, it’s boring when I’m in the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts.” 

“Indeed. I have a busy job and I am used to being occupied from dawn to dusk each day, so being a hospital patient with little to do is hardly congenial to me. The healers here have shown me absolutely no sympathy in that respect...” 

“Why, are they former students of yours?” Harry asked flippantly. Snape gave him one of _those_ looks and he quickly tried to backtrack. “Sorry, that was just a joke, honestly.” 

“If you say so, Mr. Potter,” Snape replied, relaxing his gaze. “But as to the healers, they are not former students and they have provided me with excellent treatment. It’s simply that they see my boredom as a good sign, as up to a few days ago I was apparently too busy being seriously ill to feel anything of the kind.” 

Harry smiled tentatively. “I don’t expect that’s much of a consolation.” 

Snape rolled his eyes. “Absolutely none at all. However, I will be discharged in a few days, and at least the Headmaster was considerate enough to pull some strings and arrange for me to have a room to myself, which I do appreciate. I don’t think I would have enjoyed being on an open ward.” 

Harry nodded. The room was small and plain, but he could imagine that a man like Professor Snape would prefer his privacy. Glancing around, he noticed a couple of large ‘Get well soon!’ cards on the bedside table and went bright red; it had not even occurred to him that he should bring a card with him. 

“One is from the other Professors and one from the Slytherins,” Snape said, reading his expression with ease. “I wasn’t expecting any other cards, which is perfectly acceptable; being fussed over is not something that I enjoy.” 

“Why aren’t there any cards from your family?” Harry asked without thinking. 

“Hogwarts is my family,” Snape replied impassively. 

Harry blushed again, feeling like an idiot for bringing it up. “Oh, right. Well, thanks for letting me visit. I wanted to say that I appreciate you coming to rescue me that night. I know it was my fault that you got hurt.” 

Snape looked at him quizzically. “You didn’t shoot me, Mr. Potter.” 

“I know, but I let Sasha loose, and I was the one who got kidnapped in the first place!” 

“And I was the one who decided to tackle a highly emotional man with a gun in his hand,” Snape replied dryly. “I assure you that it was not your fault that I was injured.” 

“Oh, well it’s nice of you to say so.” 

“I’m not being _nice_ , simply accurate. Given the circumstances, you acted wisely. We had signalled the Headmaster before we came into the cave and notified him of our location, but you didn’t know that. Releasing the owl was a very sensible action; if he had flown away then the trackers would have activated as soon as he was outside the magical repression field. When the owl returned, I realised that he was trying to distract Black so that we could overpower him. I took that opportunity because I thought it might be the only chance that I would get. We had asked the Headmaster to wait for thirty minutes before coming after us, although I understand that he only managed to stick it out for half that time before setting off on our trail – and in the circumstances, that’s probably just as well.” 

“I was really relieved to see him arrive too. It’s just, I did promise Percy Weasley that I’d try not to blame myself, but I would understand if you saw it differently.” 

“Well I do not, so put that out of your mind.” 

“Okay, Professor. By the way, have any aurors been to see you yet?” 

“This morning, yes. The healers wouldn’t let them in before. It wasn’t too unpleasant. I trust you had a similar experience?” 

“Yes, Sir. The Headmaster was there and he made sure they didn’t ask me anything too bad. I’m not sure what to expect from the trial, though. I want to watch the whole thing, not just come in to give evidence.” 

“As do I. Are you not concerned that it might be traumatic for you to hear the other testimony?” 

Harry was concerned about that, yes. “That’s what the Headmaster asked me. I know it might be, but I want to see this for myself. We could, erm, go together?” 

Snape nodded. “That would be acceptable. May I give you some advice as to how to conduct yourself when speaking as a witness at the trial?” 

“Yes, sure.” 

“Remember that the members of the Wizengamot have seen hundreds of people give evidence before them. Most of them can easily tell the difference between truths, evasions and lies, so don’t be anything other than absolutely honest with them; lying about anything is most unadvisable. You may feel that a question is unnecessary, or perhaps too intrusive, but it’s important to provide any requested information so that they don’t see you as a hostile witness. Don’t become angry or rude or insolent; just try to remain calm and tell them what they want to know. Request clarification if any question seems confusing to you. If they ask your opinion about something, think it through carefully before replying – and it’s fine to tell them if you don’t know something, or if you can’t quite remember for certain.” 

“Okay, got it. Thanks for that.” 

“It’s also important to keep in mind that the Wizengamot includes witches and wizards with widely differing political views. Some may raise certain issues in order to further their own cause. There will be political agendas in play which you will almost certainly not be aware of.” 

“What sort of agendas?” 

“Well for example, the Headmaster does have enemies on the Wizengamot, and some of them may take the opportunity to ask leading questions which give them the chance to be critical of him for employing a werewolf as a Professor.” 

Harry was shocked. “They can’t do that, it isn’t fair! And anyway, he’s not the one that’s on trial.” 

“The Wizengamot members are the ones who decide what is fair and what isn’t,” Snape told him. “But the Headmaster understands all of this and is quite able to defend himself. He is well aware that I may be put on the spot in that sense myself. For example, If I’m asked, I’ll have to admit that I strongly opposed Lupin’s appointment on security grounds before the start of term.” 

“But they might not ask, right?” Harry said hopefully 

“Perhaps not, but the aurors raised that point with me so… we’ll see. They also told me that they’ve used veritaserum to question Black, Pettigrew and Lupin. That is a powerful truth potion,” he added, noticing Harry’s confused expression. “When administered, it compels a witch or wizard to answer any questions put to them truthfully. From what I could gather, the use of veritaserum brought all sorts of murky facts to the surface which may or may not be referred to during the trial. For example, they asked Black if this was the first time he’d attacked me, or if he had ever hurt me before…” 

“So they know about him and my Dad picking on you at school?” Harry said anxiously. He really didn’t like the thought of his father’s reputation being trashed in a public court. 

“Indeed. There was one particular incident which they quizzed me about extensively. Tell me, in your discussions with the Headmaster, has he ever referred to what happened in the Shrieking Shack when we were in our fifth year at school?” 

“The Shrieking Shack? No, he hasn’t mentioned it.” 

“Then I suppose I’d best explain now,” Snape said. “I can’t predict what might come up or not at the trial, but this I think you should hear from me.” 

Harry listened intently as Snape explained how when he was sixteen, Black had told him how to gain access to the Shrieking Shack, with the aim of sending him there while Lupin was in his werewolf form. Snape admitted frankly that he’d taken the risk and gone to the shack in the hope of finding evidence to get some or all of the Gryffindors expelled. He spoke calmly as he related the events of that evening, but Harry could sense the emotions that were rippling under the surface. 

“So my Dad saved your life?” Harry asked at the end. “He pulled you out of the shack so that you weren’t hurt by Lupin when he was a werewolf?” 

“Yes, and I truly hated him for it,” Snape admitted with a wry smile. “Owing a life debt to one of my worst enemies, who would ever want to be in that position…” 

“I’m glad he helped you anyway,” Harry said. “That’s a really good thing to do.” 

“He knew that if I was killed or injured then both of his best friends would be punished severely. I don’t expect my life had much worth to him otherwise – but I do admit that it was brave of him to come after me that night.” 

Harry nodded, feeling proud of his father’s accomplishment. “But Professor, why isn’t any of this public knowledge already?” 

“Because the Headmaster hushed it all up,” Snape said, with a slight edge of annoyance in his voice. “He was worried about blame falling on Lupin, which he felt would be unfair since Lupin knew nothing of Black’s plans. And while I can understand that point of view, it also meant that Black’s punishment for deliberately putting me in the path of a werewolf was detention, and nothing more. Again, if this comes up in court and they want to know whether I think the Headmaster handled everything correctly then I’m going to say no, I don’t.” 

Harry saw what he meant and didn’t like it at all. “So you’re going to speak against the Headmaster? That doesn’t seem like a very loyal thing to do.” 

Snape stiffened, and for a moment his face twisted with anger. “What I am going to do is tell the truth, exactly as I advised you to. It won’t be my fault if I end up in a position where I’m forced to be critical of the Headmaster’s actions. As I said before, lying to the Wizengamot is not a good idea. Tell me, what would _you_ say in court if you were asked whether or not it was a sensible decision of the Headmaster’s to hire Gilderoy Lockhart as last year’s Defence teacher?” 

Harry stared at him. “Erm, well…” He stopped talking, unable to come up with a way to say that it had actually been a stupendously awful decision without inevitably criticising the man who made that decision in the first place. “Okay, I see what you mean. I apologise for what I just said; I shouldn’t have questioned your loyalty.” 

“No, you should not,” Snape replied stiffly. However, he spoke in a more measured tone and seemed to have calmed down, much to Harry’s relief. “Still, it is as I told you – the Headmaster will be prepared for such criticism, and he will be entirely capable of defending himself if the need arises.” 

“I understand. But Professor, no wonder you hate Black so much, if he’s tried to kill you twice!” 

“I don’t know if the Shrieking Shack incident was really attempted murder,” Snape said, turning his head to gaze thoughtfully out of the window for a moment. “I used to think it was for sure, but now I wonder… if it was so, would Black really have used his own friend as the murder weapon?” 

“Well, he certainly tried to use him as some kind of weapon,” Harry pointed out. 

“I know. In a way I’m hoping that it is brought up in court; I’d like to know what Black said about it under veritaserum, when he was forced to be truthful.” 

“I do feel a bit nervous about the trial, Professor,” Harry admitted. “It might be a bit tough to listen to.” 

“Then you might want to consider only remaining to give your own evidence after all. You should also bear in mind that there could be references to people or events which may offend you during other people’s testimony. Pettigrew, for example, may try to smear your parents’ characters in some way, in order to assist with his own defence. If you’re attending the trial then you won’t be allowed to protest or speak out against that sort of thing.” 

“Oh, erm… I guess I won’t find that easy. I still want to stick around for the whole thing though, I think.” 

Snape nodded. “I could provide you with a Calming Potion to take beforehand if you wish?” 

“That’s probably a good idea,” Harry agreed. Then, conscious of the fact that he had limited time and he hadn’t actually got to the point of his visit yet, Harry changed the subject. “Professor, you know that time when you, er, apologised to me after Potions class and I, well… got a bit worked up about it?” 

“I remember,” Snape replied evenly. “What of it?” 

“I just wanted to say sorry about getting so angry and insulting you like that. You never mentioned it afterwards, which kind of surprised me. I mean…” 

“You’re wondering why I didn’t give you a term of detentions and points losses by the hundred?” Snape said with a slight smile. “Certainly your way of addressing me was disrespectful, but in the circumstances I decided to overlook it that one time. Your anger was, I would say, quite understandable.” 

“What is it about me that you hate so much?” Harry asked impulsively. 

“Hated,” Snape corrected him, making Harry smile in surprise. “And to answer your question – well, there are a number of reasons, but it’s true that I couldn’t seem to split you and your father apart. Too much… emotional interference. It’s different now. I think that I am finally starting to see you properly. As the Headmaster will doubtless say when I tell him, it’s more than time that I did…” 

“When I was in the cave, just before you arrived, Black told me that I look like my Dad but I don’t act like him. He seemed to think I was a bit of a disappointment.” 

“Sirius Black is _not_ someone whose opinion you should take any notice of when assessing your own conduct or character,” Snape told him forcefully. “The man may be technically sane but he’s become obsessed by his desire for revenge to the point of idiocy. He is completely unbalanced.” 

Harry was strongly tempted to point out jokingly that it takes one to know one, but he stopped himself just in time. After all, he’d already walked on quite a bit of conversational thin ice today - and even though Snape was being okay right now, it was still best not to take any chances with this still relatively unknown version of his Potions master. “Yes Sir, I see what you mean,” he said politely. 

Snape gave him a suspicious look. “All I wish you to understand is that I am truly sorry for my mistreatment of you, and I give you my assurance that such a thing will not happen again.” 

Harry smiled. “Does that mean that the two of us are, well, okay now?” 

“As okay as we will ever be,” Snape replied, looking suddenly amused. 

“So if I ever wanted any advice about stuff, I could come and see you, maybe?” 

“You know where to find me, Mr. Potter.” 

“Okay,” Harry said, feeling an embarrassing warmth run through him. “I’ll remember.” 

Snape nodded, and seemed to sense that it was time to switch to less emotional topics. “Tell me how things are back at Hogwarts,” he said. “I would be interested to hear the latest gossip. The Headmaster stubbornly refuses to talk of school affairs when he visits so that I don’t start worrying about them. Has anything interesting happened lately?” 

All too willing to change the subject, Harry firstly spoke about their victory at Buckbeak’s hearing and then the last Hogsmeade weekend. After that he explained all about the sudden arrival - and even more sudden departure - of the already infamous Professor Linton. 

“So is it still the case that Linton’s attacker has not been caught?” Snape asked, his lips twitching with barely suppressed pleasure. 

“That’s right,” Harry said cheerfully. “Nobody knows who did it. The Weasley twins keep trying to find out their identity, so that they can run a sweepstakes like they did when—” Harry stopped hurriedly as he remembered that the man sitting in front of him had in fact been the subject of the last Weasley sweepstakes. 

“No need to incriminate yourself, Mr. Potter,” Snape said. He seemed to find this more funny than anything. “The perpetrator is unknown; we can leave it at that.” 

“Okay, right. Anyway, things calmed down after Professor Linton left and now we’re all looking forward to Christmas. At least, most people are - I will be more after the trial’s over.” 

“You may find that it offers a form of closure,” Snape offered. “Perhaps not right away, but later on, after things have sunk in.” 

Harry nodded. “I’m hoping so.” The door opened at that point and the healer told Harry that his time was up. “Okay. Thanks again for letting me visit, Professor. See you back at Hogwarts.” Snape merely nodded at him in a not unfriendly way as he left the room. 

It had been a bit of an awkward visit, Harry reflected as he took the floo back to Hogwarts. Of course, that was mostly because of the number of unfortunate remarks that he’d managed to come out with. Even so, Harry was relieved that he and Professor Snape had spoken; it felt good to clear the air, and in some strange way they almost seemed to have gone from enemies to, well, not enemies. It was a kind of progress, anyway. Overall though, he decided that visiting a sick Snape in hospital was one of those things that you were glad you’d done the once - for the experience of the thing, and to say that you’d tried it - but never under any circumstances wanted to do again. 

\--- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- IIII --- 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I don’t speak German, so cross fingers that the online translation sites I used for Oliver’s spell worked correctly!
> 
> In our next and final chapter – the trial, the den, the holidays, the surprise plan and the end of the quests.
> 
> For those who have asked me whether there will be a sequel, I am thinking about one and have a basic idea in mind, so maybe. Harry will be needing something to keep him busy for the rest of the school year, after all! However, it won’t be for some time, since I would probably do as I did for this story and write about 8-10 chapters to get the story going properly before posting any.


End file.
